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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24059938">the boy and the sea</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/okamiwind/pseuds/okamiwind'>okamiwind</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>EXO (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Gods &amp; Goddesses, Choking, Comeplay, Devotion, Dirty Talk, Immortality, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Power Imbalance, Roman Myths, Spanking</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 18:34:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>141,869</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24059938</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/okamiwind/pseuds/okamiwind</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>sehun has heard all the tales of the water god, tempestuous and clever. he's heard them all at least three times over. never once did they adequately warn of suho's ability to ensnare, captivate... he is a current sehun would never want to escape from.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Oh Sehun</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>718</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>428</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. crest</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Once upon a time, when the earth was as dry as dust, there was a boy who loved three things above all else. He loved his dog, he loved his father, and more even than these, he loved the water.</p><p>The clear blue waters were rare, as rare as diamonds or rubies or emeralds. The people in his village prayed and prayed for showers, but the showers fell few and far between. The loam grew thirsty and wanton as the people grew hungry and desperate. </p><p>The boy watched as they starved, and in his heart, he knew that something had to be done. In his heart, he knew that he was the one to do it. No one loved the water as he did, so it would be his task, his stone to carry. </p><p>Each morning and each night for the sennight leading to his seventh name day, the boy carried a stone up the hill to the temple. He was slight and his body shivered with effort, but he carried the stone upon his back just the same, stacking each of the fourteen stones in a tall column in front of the god’s statue. </p><p>Just as he set the fourteenth stone in its place, the hour turned, one day changing to the next as he finished his seventh year of life. He dropped to his knees in front of the deity, his handsome face etched into a stony, unyielding gaze. </p><p>“Soon, I will be tall as these stones,” the boy promised, hands clutched in front of him in prayer. “When I am tall, when I am strong, I will pledge my service to you, this I swear to you. I will live my life for you, O Lord, and you shall be my only thought. For my people thirst, and I wish that they could drink your waters.” </p><p>The boy stood, pressed his lips to the god’s folded hands, and ran back to his home, the shadows nipping at his heels as the night grew long. </p><p>At dawn, there was a miracle. </p><p>The rains came and the land drank, grateful with every luscious sip. The people laughed and danced in the river as she swelled with life, and the flowers, once wilted and frail, breathed a second breath. The boy let the water pitter-patter along his skin as he smiled to the heavens. What luck, he thought, or perhaps— </p><p>With all haste, he ran to the temple. As his sandals slapped upon the marble floor, his mouth fell open wide. </p><p>Each and every of the stones, fourteen and stacked high, had vanished. </p><p>The covenant had been sealed, and Sehun’s life was no longer simply his own.<br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>Sehun makes his living on the water, of course. There was no other way for him.</p><p>At twenty years, he works on a great fishing boat, and his body swells with muscle as he hauls the nets aboard the ship. The floor writhes with shimmering, iridescent scales, and Sehun scoops the fish into iced baskets. He and the captain bring the haul to the market to sell, and Sehun makes plenty of pretty coins for his toil. He gives most of what he earns to his father, only a small percent kept for himself. </p><p>Every sennight since he was old enough to work, he has placed a shiny silver coin at the foot of the water god’s altar. Every sennight, he has knelt under the god’s statue, thinking of the promise he once made. Every sennight, he wonders if it was all just some great coincidence, the way the water broke free from the skies, forever changing their earth. </p><p>He promised himself to the god, didn’t he? Once he was as tall as the rocks he stacked? He cannot remember his promise well now, but he thinks he is probably as tall as fourteen stones now. Perhaps the god does not think he’s remembered. Perhaps he is not sure of Sehun’s resolve. </p><p>Every night, Sehun dreams of him. Every night, Sehun prays he will come. </p><p>On the eve of his twenty first name day, Sehun scrubs in the river, trying to lose the metallic scent of blood. It would feel too foul, entering such a holy place while stinking of fish. He drapes himself in the yellow chiton that he saved up for, several months of work going towards the fresh, finely woven linen. It is much finer than anything he had ever worn before, the linen so soft and so fine that he could practically see through it. It hangs from his left shoulder, bears his right breast to the open air. </p><p>As the night settles like a drape of rich purple silk, Sehun daubs himself with perfumed oil, palm and marjoram. He fingers through his hair, pushing it back carefully before he makes the long walk to the temple. </p><p>This is his fulfillment of the promise, after all, and he clutches the pearled diadem in his shaking hands, climbing the long, winding road to the water god’s altar. </p><p>The flames are lit, bathing Suho’s face in warm, amber light as Sehun steps into the marble keep. </p><p>He watches the statue reverently for a moment before he kneels at Suho’s feet, forehead pressed to the white marble floor. </p><p>“Forgive my absence, kind, sweet Suho,” Sehun begins, his eyelashes brushing against the stone. “I have wanted to visit you every night this sennight so that I might ask for your blessing. N-Not for anything selfish, lovely Suho, not anything for myself, but… but for you.” </p><p>He looks up to Suho’s white face, unchanging and unfeeling, and he gathers his strength, staring into his white eyes. </p><p>“I hope you are well, my great god, my perfect lord, mover of earth and fruitful sea, powerful and blessed. You come to my dreams nightly, Suho, and I know you must be so weary, kindly king of the waters. Rest well, O Lovely Lord.” </p><p>He bows his head again. </p><p>“I have not forgotten the promise I once made, O Lord,” Sehun says, squeezing his eyes shut. “All the riches I have found are gifts from you, my god, and to honor my words, though they were spoken with the lips of a thoughtless child, I pledge you my service, this day and all my days, from this night until I know no more.”  </p><p>He stands from his knees, and standing on the tips of his toes, he places the pearl-studded diadem upon the statue’s head, eyes watering at the sight. He is truly magnificent, and while nothing of the earth could ever come close to challenging his beauty, the diadem does not look the least bit out of place upon him. </p><p>Sehun bows his head, pressing another kiss to the god’s marble hands. “A gift for you, for your cresting waves and gentle tides. I am yours, my god, and if you can see into my heart, you will know that I speak truly. I have only ever been yours.” </p><p>He waits for a moment, looking into the statue’s face, and without another hesitation, he turns, walks the long road back home. He feels silly as he strips himself of his fine clothes, as he catches the scent of his perfume. He tucks himself into bed that evening, and when he closes his eyes, he lets himself dream of the wild water, storming in virgin, unbroken circles.<br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>In the middle of the night, there is a sharp crack of thunder that wakes him. Sehun blinks sleepily, trying to go back to sleep as he listens to the comforting sound of the rains, but then suddenly, there is another crack, this time at his door. Sehun sits up straight, looking around. No one in the house has stirred, no one save for him, and he looks to the door, watches as it winces with another swift knocking. He throws his bedclothes back, and he slips into a pair of house sandals, wrapping a wool blanket around his shoulders.</p><p>He stands in front of the door as the stranger raps again. He tilts his head to the side, confused as he looks back at his father, his brother, his dog. Do they not hear the calling? </p><p>Sehun opens the door, and he is convinced at once that he is dreaming. </p><p>There, before him, is the god of the oceans, streams, lakes, and rivers. He is the god of rainstorms and hurricanes, tsunamis and the deep, dark depths that are only known by the monsters below. There before him is Suho, but his face is no longer stony white, instead blushed and red with life as the rains fall on him. </p><p>“Pray, servant of mine,” the god says with a clever grin, “might I seek shelter during the storm?” </p><p>Sehun steps forward and he throws the wool around him, eyes wide. </p><p>“S-Suho,” Sehun whispers, and the cold rains chill him to the bone as lightning colors the sky purple and red. “Suho, I—” </p><p>“This is not a dream, silly boy,” Suho says, and he steps forward, his body wet against Sehun’s. “Did you mean what you promised me in the temple this evening?” </p><p>“Y-Yes, of course,” Sehun whispers. “Every word.” </p><p>“Then you must follow me at once,” his pretty god smiles. “For I am in desperate need of your service.” </p><p>He clutches Sehun’s wool blanket to him as he walks away, leaving Sehun to chase after him with his eyes. Suho looks back over his shoulder, draped in Sehun’s clothes. What a sight. </p><p>“Follow me,” Suho orders, and Sehun only barely remembers to shut the door behind him.<br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>Sehun knows the way to the temple well, and when they walk the path, the rains make the walk a bit treacherous. The bottoms of his sandals paint the backs of his legs with mud, and he feels unclean, <i>especially</i> unclean in Suho’s presence.</p><p>Suho navigates the mud path easily, and it makes Sehun smile, thinking of the way Suho was born. He sprang forth from the muddy waters of the great river, and with his birth, the water ran clean and blue. </p><p>Water lilies sprouted from the earth, bloomed around him, cradling him in their jade leaves. Suho slept there for a year, and the waters were pure as he bathed, grew strong with life. Once he was able to walk out of the river, he danced across the earth, making the lakes, ponds, and tributaries that fed the soils. The oceans were his bed, and he rested there in the evenings. The waters were happy, and so too were the people. </p><p>No one knew why the earth went dry so long ago, but now it is no concern, Sehun supposes. </p><p>They approach the temple within the hour, and Suho throws the wool blanket to the floor at the entrance. He steps inside without a second thought, but Sehun pauses, stepping out of his ruined sandals, furiously trying to rinse his legs with a pool of dirty rainwater before he enters. </p><p>“What are you waiting for, silly boy?” Suho smiles. “What is the trouble?” </p><p>“My feet, O Great One,” Sehun says, and he shields himself from view, turns so that Suho can’t see Sehun’s bare feet. “I am not fit to enter.” </p><p>“<i>Please</i>,” he scoffs, and then as Sehun’s staring down at his muddy feet, there is a sudden burst of water from the sky and it drenches him from head to toe. He is soaked through to the bone, but his feet are clean. Sehun gasps, shivering with cold. Sehun spins, teeth chattering. “Enter. I will not command it again.” </p><p>His movements are clumsy with shock, and he walks inside with naked feet. It feels like a small defilement, but Suho too is barefoot, and he commanded Sehun to enter. He has done as he was bade, and that is no defilement. It is just and true, honoring and gods-fearing. <i>Right?</i></p><p>Sehun holds his hands in front of his body, stock-still as he watches Suho. Suho looks around the temple, feet padding across the floor, observing everything slowly. Sehun stays back by the lamps at the entrance, the warmth of the fires slowly seeping through him. Suho stands before his statue, and when he looks back over his shoulder, he is smiling at Sehun. </p><p>“A very fetching crown,” Suho praises. “You’ve good taste.” </p><p>“Thank you, my king,” Sehun says, and he bows his head. “I-I saw it, and I thought of you, my lord above.” </p><p>“You’re so very devoted,” Suho says, and his fingers brush along the white marble, clear and perfect. “I heard your prayers tonight, you know.” </p><p>Sehun’s heart leaps inside him, and he squeezes his hands together nervously. “H-Have you, O Lovely King?” </p><p>Suho turns back to the statue of himself, and he stands upon his tiptoes, lifting the diadem from his marble counterpart. He holds it from one finger, lets it dangle carelessly as he turns back to face Sehun. </p><p>“Why are you standing so far away?” Suho asks, and Sehun’s eyes move down his form without his mind’s permission. “Hm?” </p><p>“M-My king, I confess I—”</p><p>“You…?” </p><p>The amber light glints pearlescent off the diadem in Suho’s possession, and Sehun struggles to find his words. Suho is so much more beautiful even than the loveliest of sculptures, even the most elegant of depictions. Who could stand in front of such radiance, light reflecting off the river’s glass, and not feel a swelling of ardor, of proper madness? </p><p>“I’m sorry, my lord,” Sehun says. “I simply cannot believe my eyes.” </p><p>Suho grins, and it is like the dawning of the sun streaked across the ocean. He approaches slowly, and at his right and left, the lamps go dim, the fires extinguished. The night is cool blue in the absence of true light, but oh, Suho shines more brilliantly than even the sun. </p><p>His footsteps are quiet as he closes the distance between them, and his breath is sweet like honey wine when he puts his hand on Sehun’s shoulder. </p><p>“Kneel,” Suho commands, and Sehun sinks to his knees without another word. He keeps his eyes low and reverent but Suho clears his throat, and Sehun raises his gaze on instinct. “Behold me.” </p><p>“Yes, my wondrous lord.” </p><p>“Am I pleasing to you?” </p><p>“Yes, king of waters,” Sehun. “You are.”</p><p>“Is that why you have twice promised your life to me?” Suho asks. “Because I’m pretty?” </p><p>“N-Not just that, Sweet Suho,” Sehun says. “F-For less… superficial reasons too.” </p><p>Suho smiles, and a whisper of danger laces through Sehun’s stomach, just behind his navel. </p><p>“You speak truly,” Suho says. The pearl crown dangles from his fingers. “I remember when you were just a pure-hearted boy, hauling stones to stack in front of me. The first time I heard your prayer, I thought, <i>what a special child.</i> I brought the rains, and I never looked back upon you or this land. Never until now, when it was time to honor your repeated pledge.” He smiles at Sehun. “Never once did I think that you would turn into something so lovely. A flower. A <i>lovely flower.</i>”</p><p>Sehun’s throat goes tight at the words, and he looks away before realizing that he has disobeyed the command. He looks back up into Suho’s eyes, searching for truth. <i>Do you mean it, my king, my wonderful god? Do you truly remember that day so long ago?</i></p><p>“I prayed for rain,” Sehun whispers, the words slipping from his lips. </p><p>“And I gave you rain, did I not?” </p><p>“Yes, my lord,” Sehun says. “You answered all my prayers.” </p><p>Suho smiles again at him as he takes the diadem, placing it gently upon Sehun’s crown. Sehun draws breath sharply as Suho strokes his fingers down Sehun’s cheek. The touch is soft, strangely sweet. <i>Why do you touch me so, O King? What have I done to deserve such honor?</i></p><p>“Long ago, do you know how many calves they sacrificed for me?” Suho asks. “Do you know the amount of blood that was spilled so that I would return?” </p><p>“N-No, Noble Suho,” Sehun frowns. “I’m sorry, your great and powerful—” </p><p>“No more titles,” Suho says. “Call me <i>lord</i>, or call me by my true name.” </p><p>“Yes, my lord,” Sehun says. “Sorry, my lord.” </p><p>It paints a beautiful smile across Suho’s face, one that chases a small smile onto Sehun’s own face. </p><p>“They gave me everything I wanted and more,” Suho says simply, and he runs his fingertips along the metalwork of the crown. Sehun’s eyes flutter closed, but he forces himself to gaze upon the perfection before him. “Flowers, riches, wine. Enough blood to fill the ocean… but I didn’t want any of it. Do you know what I wanted? What my heart craved more than all else?” </p><p>“W-What, my lord?” </p><p>“<i>You</i>,” Suho smiles, and Sehun feels the tears threaten to fall onto the floor below. “I had no passion, no desire to keep living this endless life… and then I saw you. Nothing but a determined child. A child of goodness, pure light. And you sacrificed yourself without knowing what it meant.” </p><p>“My lord?” </p><p>“You gave yourself for the good of others,” Suho says. “And that touched me. In all my years, in all the lives I’ve lived, no one had ever done such a thing. Nothing melted my heart the way your earnestness did.”</p><p>Sehun bows his head before Suho, his god, his favorite god, and he feels the blush rise to the tops of his cheeks. “You flatter me, my lord.” </p><p>“There is no flattery here,” Suho says. “I am immortal, you know this to be true.” </p><p>“I do, my lord.” </p><p>“So I’ve no need to flatter anyone,” Suho says. “When I give you such praise, you will know that you can trust in it.” </p><p>“My lord…” </p><p>“Rise before me,” Suho orders, and Sehun has no choice but to stand, towering over his pretty god. “How does it feel to wear this crown?” </p><p>“It does not suit me as it suits you, my lord.” </p><p>Suho grins, and he rubs the pad of his thumb along Sehun’s bottom lip. “Do you taste as sweet as your words?” </p><p>“N-No, I fear not,” Sehun says, and then suddenly, Suho’s thumb is slipping into Sehun’s mouth. </p><p>Wordlessly, he closes his mouth around it, and Suho’s grin widens as he withdraws his touch. </p><p>“Have you dreamt of this, then?” Suho asks. “Have you dreamt of sharing a bed with me?” Sehun struggles to find the right words, words that don’t betray him, but he can’t find any, certainly not before Suho interrupts his thoughts. “Will you lie to me?” </p><p>“N-No, my lord,” Sehun promises. “I won’t.” </p><p>“I know,” Suho says. “Tell me, fisherboy.” </p><p>“I have dreamt of you,” Sehun confesses. </p><p>“Dreams of what nature?” Suho pries. “What do you dream?” </p><p>“I dreamt of your power. Your elegance and strength, my lord.” </p><p>“Is that right?” </p><p>“Y-Yes,” Sehun says and his voice trembles. </p><p>“Never anything more?” Suho asks. “Never about my beauty? My lust? Being wrapped in my sheets?” </p><p>“My <i>lord</i>.” </p><p>“As though I don’t know my own stories,” Suho smiles. “As though I’m a virgin serving at the temple’s altar.” Sehun’s cheeks go red at the suggestion. “Ah.” </p><p>“My lord?” </p><p>“You,” Suho says. “<i>You</i> are the virgin serving at the temple’s altar. Is that the fantastical daydream?”  Sehun averts his eyes, shamed, but Suho laughs, soft and sweet. “Well now, you are in luck, aren’t you?” </p><p>Sehun is dumbstruck by what’s happening to him because before he can figure up from down, Suho is erasing distance between them, pressing his mouth to Sehun’s. Sehun’s never kissed anyone, never shared breath like this, and Gods, it tastes good. </p><p>Suho is masterful, a hand at the back of Sehun’s neck as he licks along the seam of Sehun’s lips. Sehun moans, the sound escaping before he can stop it </p><p>“Only virgins serve at the water temples, isn’t that right?” Suho whispers. </p><p>“Yes, my lord,” Sehun gasps, searching for air amidst all the water. </p><p>“Then I suppose you won’t be able to serve,” Suho says. </p><p>“Why not, my lord?” </p><p>“I will have you,” Suho says. “I will break you tonight.” </p><p>Sehun sucks in a shocked breath, wondering how many nights he’s spent dreaming of those words being spoken to him. And now… <i>now</i>—  </p><p>“On your back, fisherboy,” Suho commands, and Sehun is quick to lie upon the cool marble floor. The diadem clatters to the floor, and Sehun dare not move to put it back on his head. “You respond well.” </p><p>“I am in your eternal debt,” Sehun whispers. “Anything you ask for is yours, my lord.” </p><p>“And if I demand your purity? If I take you this night, and consider your service complete?” </p><p>Suho sheds himself of his robe, though it’s almost entirely for show. It was so thin that it became see-through as soon as water touched it. Then, Suho is naked before him, body elegant and soft. Sehun’s eyes water as he looks upon him. <i>This must be love tangled with lust</i>, he thinks, <i>because my heart aches for him and my body is desperate.</i></p><p>“It is your decision to make, my lord,” Sehun says, mouth so, so dry. </p><p>Suho smiles down at him, and he lowers himself to his knees, straddling Sehun easily. Sehun remembers all the tales he once heard. Suho gallivanting with the forest nymphs, fucking the God of the Kiln. Running through the wood, laughing like the river. Fire and water, steam rising from the surface of the earth. </p><p>“Tell me truly now,” Suho whispers, and he reaches up, takes the crown from where it fell to the floor. Suho’s chest is near Sehun’s face, and Sehun’s gaze is glued to the pink round of his nipples, the gentle point. When he sits back up, he is wearing the pearled diadem, grinning like a cat. “Are you truly a virgin?” </p><p>“Yes, my lord.” </p><p>“Never been touched by anyone?” </p><p>“No, my lord.” </p><p>“Never even spent a night with a mermaid, fisherboy?” </p><p>“No, my lord,” Sehun gasps. </p><p>“So if I told you I wanted to fuck you,” Suho says softly, and he puts his naked chest to Sehun’s, clothed, “if I said that I wanted you to put your cock in my ass, what would you say?” He narrows his eyes like he’s challenging Sehun. “Would it disgust you?” </p><p>“No, my lord.” </p><p>“No,” Suho says, “because you are perverted. Rakehell with untouched, unmarred flesh. Eager to be <i>debauched</i>.” </p><p>“Yes, my lord.” </p><p>“And you want me any way you could have me,” Suho says. “Every way there is for a man to have another.” </p><p>“Yes, my lord.” </p><p>He puts his hands on Sehun’s shoulders with a smile, and just like that, he is tumbling over. Suho’s back hits the marble floor, and Sehun’s eyes go wide. He is on top of Suho, Suho’s legs spread to cradle him, the mouth of a river welcoming him into the depths. </p><p>“Then, take me,” Suho whispers fiercely. “Fuck me on the floor of my sacred temple. Desecrate me, fisherboy. You’ve put a god underneath you. Hold him there. Spend inside him. Mark him as your own.” </p><p>Sehun chokes on his air, and his hips kick forward before he knows what he’s doing. Suho moans beneath him, a cat in heat, and Sehun groans as their bodies brush together. </p><p>“See there? You know the way,” Suho says, and he pulls the tunic at Sehun’s shoulder, tearing it easily. “Strip yourself of your clothes. Show me your arousal.” </p><p>Sehun gets onto his knees, and he quickly loses his tunic over his head, throwing it to the side. He shoves his underclothes down to his knees, strips himself of those too. When he looks between his legs, his cock is hard, thick, wanton. </p><p>“Your passion,” Suho whispers, and he reaches between his legs to take Sehun’s cock in his hands, playing with it, stroking it. “My, it’s large, isn’t it?” </p><p>“The boys at the baths…” </p><p>“Have they touched it?” Suho whispers, and he does not sound mad, not anything like the righteous anger he’s heard about. More… intrigued. </p><p>“No, my lord,” Sehun says, and he bites his smile. “They said I was blessed by the gods.” </p><p>Suho hums, brushing his palm over the sensitive head of Sehun’s cock. “Certainly. Blessed in many ways, I believe.” He stares into Sehun’s eyes as he pulls him down by the shoulders. “Should I take your flower quickly? Or slowly?” Their bodies align like stars, and Suho smiles at him. “Tell me, else I’ll have you the way I desire you: immediately.”  </p><p>“S-Slowly, my lord,” Sehun whispers. “I would like to remember it.” </p><p>“I have no doubt you will,” Suho says, and when their mouths are again close enough to share each other’s air, Suho takes him in another fervent kiss. Sehun is pulled forward, the tip of his cock brushing against Suho’s hole, wet and dripping, and he moans into Suho’s mouth. “Do you feel it, fisherboy? Do you feel my waters? No mortal man feels this way.” </p><p>“No, my lord,” Sehun says senselessly. “No one but you.” </p><p>“You will never fuck another and feel this,” Suho whispers, his lips moving against Sehun’s mouth. “You would have to wet them with oils, stretch them open with your fingers. You would have to <i>wait</i>.” His smile is catlike and devious. “Not with me. Never with me.” He reaches down between their bodies, dragging the head of Sehun’s cock along himself. “Slip inside the waters, boy.” </p><p>Sehun thrusts inside excitedly, and he is immediately overwhelmed by the heat. He sinks to the bottom of a boiling ocean, the waves crashing over him one after another. He gasps, sucking in, chest heaving as he tries not to spend as soon as they are tied. The god beneath him laughs, laughs like he finds Sehun’s struggle <i>amusing</i>, and Sehun bites his lip. Strangely, a desire leaps into his heart, a desire the likes of which he’s never had before. </p><p><i>I should kiss him fiercely. I should give him so much pleasure that it hurts him. There is a storm inside me, and he has no idea. He does not know the lengths I would go to have him. He does not know how desperately I craved him. I will show him the true fury. Passion. Love. Pure desire.</i> </p><p>“Speak,” Suho orders, and Sehun breathes out, shocked. “Tell me the words that rattle in the cage of your chest. I hear them.” </p><p>“My lord, I can’t,” Sehun whispers. “It is… you feel much too good.” </p><p>Suho hums a pleasant song, and he pulls Sehun into a kiss. His tongue tangles with Sehun’s, the passion leaking out from the edges. Sehun’s hips move on their own accord, without his permission, and he thrusts deeper into Suho. A groan shatters out from within him, the sound of his own destruction. Suho was right. No mortal man feels like this. No one will ever be this good. This lovely. </p><p>Sehun is a hair’s breadth away from spending inside Suho when he realizes that he Suho is right, is right about everything. This beautiful beginning might as well be his end. </p><p>“You think too much,” Suho moans and he drags Sehun down, their abdomens pressed together. Sehun is forced to get to his knees in order to keep the depth of his thrust, and he gathers Suho in his arms as Suho clings to him. “Stay in this moment, fisherboy. Stay inside me, won’t you? As long as you can. It’s been so long since I felt something as good as you.” </p><p>Sehun chokes out a wet sound, and he presses a kiss to Suho’s ear. Each little bit of him tastes sweeter than the last he’s tasted, sweeter than the ripest fruit. Suho’s nails dig into the flesh of Sehun’s shoulders, and he drags down. The burst of pain is bright red, and it makes Sehun tremble. </p><p>“Fuck me,” Suho whispers, his mouth at Sehun’s ear lobe. “Do as your lord commands you.” </p><p>Sehun draws his hips back and fucks in hard. It pushes a deep sound from Suho’s chest, a burst of thunder. </p><p>“Again,” Suho whispers, and he couples the sweet words with a bitter bite to the shell of Sehun’s ear. “Fuck me before I bleed back into the ocean and you never get to touch me again.” </p><p>A spiral of fear moves through him, curling and curling. Is this the only time he’ll ever get to see Suho? Already, he knows that it is not enough. It won’t ever be enough. Still, if he must make tonight count for the rest of his life, then he will. <i>He will.</i></p><p>He breathes in sharply as he sets his hips to a rhythm, letting his body take control. Pleasure fractures up the back of his neck, splitting and spidering like broken glass. He moans sharply as he takes what he wants. What he's always wanted.</p><p>“Yes,” Suho says, and Sehun pushes in and in, over and over again, hard and harder still. “<i>Yes. Yes.</i>” </p><p>Sehun whimpers as he tries to make the loveliness last, biting Suho’s lips between his teeth as he fucks him. Suho envelops him, arms and legs wrapped tightly around Sehun's body. Tides rise within him, and he shuts his eyes as he attempts to keep his mind from conjuring up words that seek to destroy his resolve. The sensations coupled with <i>wet, hot, need. Love. Love. Love... </i> </p><p>He groans as he strains to keep the words inside him, as he tries to keep himself together. He does not want the night to end. He does not want this moment to end. He wants to live and die in it. He might die without it. He wants to spend his life loving Suho. It is his purpose. He pledged his life. </p><p>“Say it,” Suho orders, and he threads his fingers through Sehun’s hair, giving him a gentle pull.</p><p>They meet in a kiss, fervid, fiery.  </p><p>“I love you,” Sehun confesses weakly, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. “I love you, my lord, <i>I love you</i>.” </p><p>“Come,” Suho orders, and Sehun is utterly<i>powerless</i>. </p><p>He spends in the next breath, body humming with tension that unfurls, unspools like hot red waves. He calls his god’s name, and the god beneath him mewls happily as Sehun thrusts deep, deeper inside. His body trembles as Suho tenses around him, and Sehun hisses as Suho pulls him into another kiss, another and then another. </p><p>Sehun collapses to Suho’s body, clutching him close. </p><p>“Rest now,” Suho says with another grin, petting Sehun’s hair as he holds him. “You’ve done well, boy.”<br/>
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</div><p>Sehun wakes to a trembling storm. He sits up. Suho is sitting under the archway of the temple, staring at the rains as they fall. Sehun watches for a moment, transfixed by the image of a god clutching his knees to his chest. The night is a shroud on his shoulders, blue, purple, and black. Lightning strikes suddenly, and it makes the world bright, the air charged.</p><p>“My lord,” Sehun calls, and Suho looks back over his shoulder. “Are you well, my lord?” </p><p>“I am well,” Suho smiles weakly. “Back to sleep, young one.” </p><p>Sehun doesn’t think of himself as <i>young</i>, but compared to Suho, compared to his godliness… perhaps he <i>is</i> young. How many moons has Suho seen come and go? How many summers? </p><p>“W-Won’t my lord join me?” Sehun wonders, scared to ask for what he truly wants. </p><p><i>Visit me again tomorrow</i>, he thinks. <i>Let me honor you in your temple as often as you like. I shall pray on my knees, and I shall kiss your feet.</i> </p><p>“I must go,” Suho says, but he stands all the same, making his way back to where Sehun is spread across the floor. “But just for a moment, I will lie with you. One moment, nothing more, understand?” </p><p>Sehun smiles to himself as Suho lays himself long against Sehun’s side, and he holds his arms open for the god to rest inside them. They share the deathly quiet, the only sound being that of the raging storm. <i>The catch will be bountiful tomorrow</i>, Sehun thinks. <i>Thank Suho.</i> </p><p>Suho presses a soft kiss to Sehun’s nipple, and Sehun makes a softer sound to signal his pleasure. Sehun closes his eyes, dreams for a thin second. </p><p>“Come with me,” Suho whispers. “Come with me, and never return to this village.” </p><p>It surprises Sehun into silence, and Suho waits, equal in the quiet. </p><p>“M-My lord, you know that I mustn’t,” Sehun says. </p><p>“You mustn’t?” Suho whispers. “By whose law? Certainly not mine.” </p><p>“I am not worthy of you,” Sehun admits, just as much to himself as to Suho. “You… you deserve much more, my lord.” </p><p>Suho laughs, a bored little sound. “I tire of this already. I won’t argue with a boy who smells of fish blood.”</p><p>Sehun bites his lip, scolded. “Yes, my lord.” </p><p>Suho leans up, his chin digging into Sehun’s pectoral. He stares into Sehun’s eyes. </p><p>“You truly won’t come?” </p><p>“I shouldn’t.” </p><p>Suho narrows his eyes, crawling up Sehun’s body until he can kiss him. Sehun responds eagerly, always looking for his next sip. Perhaps, this is the sensation that will plague him for the rest of his life. <i>Thirst.</i></p><p>“I am your god,” Suho says, and his lips move against Sehun’s. “You defy me?” </p><p>Sehun squeezes his eyes shut tight, thinking that it might give him the courage to say what he must. “In this. In only this.” </p><p>He does not know what to expect. He could easily be drowned within the moment, but oddly, he feels at peace. Not even death could strip him of this night, for memories live and breathe on their own accord, separate from men’s blood and air. </p><p>He opens his eyes slowly, slowly as though he is waking from slumber, and Suho is staring back at him. His eyes are watery blue and crystalline, yet deep and emerald. They shift with lovely color, pools of light, and Sehun regrets. Regrets. He does not wear a look of rage, not sadness or surprise, disgust or confusion. He looks upon Sehun plainly, and Sehun thinks it fitting. </p><p>A god beholds him for what he is. A fisherboy, utterly plain. Nothing compared to him. Sehun will cherish this night for a lifetime. </p><p>“Then go,” Suho says playfully, and he presses another kiss to Sehun’s lips, a fastening of their time. “I will call on you. The next great storm, boy, I will expect you here. Meet me in this temple. Do you understand?”  </p><p>Sehun’s stomach flares with heat. He had not dared to think… </p><p>“Yes, my lord. I understand.” </p><p>Suho gets up from where they rested, and he walks out of the temple with bare feet, a bare body. Sehun bears the secret urge to cover him, but it is not his place. Gods may do as they please, and men are there to respect them. Listen to them.</p><p>Sehun lifts himself to his feet only a second later. He wants to chase after Suho, wants to tell him that he is sorry. That he made a mistake. Who is he to tell Suho no? Who is he to deny him of anything? If a god desires his company, he should feel lucky to accept the offer. He is nothing but an offering. A vein to be spilled. </p><p>He steps outside into the pouring rain, expecting to see Suho lingering, but he is nowhere to be found. Vanished into the air. Sehun looks to the sea in the distance, faraway and rolling with the storm. Suho moved like that. Suho rolled like the sea. It makes sense. He is the water. He is the sea. </p><p>Sehun breathes out, the chill of the rains beginning to freeze his chest solid, so he heads back into the temple. It is dark without Suho’s light, so Sehun quickly strikes a match, lights the lamps quietly, reverently. The orange light helps as he searches for the diadem to place back on the statue. He cannot find it, quirking a confused brow. He’s sure that Suho had left it. Hadn’t he? </p><p>He walks back home that night with a torn tunic, soaked through to the bone, but still he wonders… was it even real? Was it some grand illusion? A flicker of light upon the water? </p><p>He dries himself off as the sun begins to rise, as his father and brother and dog wake and stretch. He dresses for the day with sleepy eyes, tired limbs, and when he sails that morning, he watches the horizon line.</p><p>Sehun imagines Suho’s arms, long and lithe along the line where the sky meets the sea. He imagines Suho’s hips, his lips, his eyes. The rolling waters. The bubbling ocean. </p><p>He smiles to himself as he does his work that day, and all the rest of his days that sennight. Suho is full of ephemeral love, and if only for a just moment, Sehun got to taste its sweetness.<br/>
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<a name="section0002"><h2>2. tide</h2></a>
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    <p>His father’s fever worsens. </p><p>Sometimes, he thinks back to that storm, nearly a year ago. There hasn’t been another since. </p><p>Sehun knows because he’s waited with open eyes, an open heart. </p><p>He works his days with the fishers, works through most of the night apprenticing with a bronze-smith. The pouring is difficult work. He helps make braziers for the baths, and he watches the owner of the shop pour delicate jewelry, silver and gold rings, necklaces, and bracelets. He looks at the finery and thinks of Suho, the night that they spent wrapped in each other. It still feels so near to him, like if he could only stretch his arm out a bit further, he could brush his fingertips against the cool, smooth surface. </p><p>“We’ll need more money,” his brother says. “It still isn’t enough.” </p><p>Sehun bites his lip. “We can do more. We will do more.” </p><p>“There isn’t any time. If we wait another sennight, he will succumb to it.” His brother looks away, looks out the window like he can’t look at Sehun, too sad, too ashamed. Sehun looks down at his hands, the pitiful coins. “Go to the temple tonight. Pray for him. I will talk to the tanner. If I pledge nightly service to him, perhaps he’ll give me an advance on salary.” He looks back to Sehun. “What are you waiting for?” </p><p>“W-Which temple?” Sehun asks. </p><p>His brother frowns. “Suho’s. It’s closest.” </p><p>Sehun looks at his feet. “I will go, then.” </p><p>“Make your prayer well,” his brother advises, and he tosses Sehun the heavy cloak. “He cannot endure much longer.” </p><p>Sehun puts on the cloak, and the door shuts softly behind him. He has not prayed at the temple since that night, kept all his prayers intimate. He couldn’t bear to think of what happened that night. It only hurt him. Only made him desire more and more. </p><p><i>Bring the rains,</i> he thought. <i>Bring the storm.</i> </p><p>He walks to the temple in the dead of night, darkness as his only companion. When he sees the white marble, it seems to glow in the yellow light of the moon. It draws him in, draws him ever-closer, and by the time he is standing in the archway, he is breathing heavily. </p><p>His stomach turns with arousal as he steps inside, thinking of what happened on this floor. In front of this statue. He’s not held another, never wanted to… and still, he yearns.<br/>
But he is not here for that, not standing in the temple because he craves water. He is standing in the temple because he is in desperate need of help. </p><p><i>A pure heart</i>, Sehun thinks. <i>That’s why he came to me.</i> </p><p>He kneels in front of Suho’s statue, hands gently resting upon Suho’s white stone feet. Sehun bows his head, shuts his eyes, and focuses on the feeling that sits heavily on his chest. His father… his poor father. </p><p>“Suho,” Sehun whispers. “Suho, my lord, my king… I come to you in my hour of need.” He looks up, staring at the statue’s face, and for a moment, the orange light of the lamps wave. It makes it appear as though Suho is standing right in front of him. Sehun squeezes his eyes shut tight. “If you’ve any affection for me, if you remember that night we shared together, please… spare him. Help me, and spare him.” </p><p>He lowers his mouth to the stone feet on the altar, and he presses a soft kiss to them. He does not offer another word, another prayer, only stands and makes the long journey home. </p><p>Sehun thinks about what he might have said if Suho appeared there in the temple, thinks about whether or not he would have had the strength to ask for what he wanted.<br/>
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</div><p>The next morning, he opens his door and finds a sack of silver. More than they would need. Sehun bites his lip, looking out to the water.</p><p>He runs to the medicine maker, purchases as much of the herb pastes as the doctors advise. He buys so many cold cucumbers he can barely hold them all, stores them in the fishers ice. He feeds his father before going to work the seas, and for the first time in a moon, Sehun sees him smile. </p><p>The waters are gentle and calm that day, and the haul is unbelievable, at least double what they normally catch. </p><p>“Thank Suho for this, boy, yes, but also thank <i>me</i>,” the fisherman says with a smile. “The water god holds me in special favor, you see.” He aims his grin out to the open sea. “He’ll make us rich.” </p><p>“Thank Suho,” Sehun whispers quietly, and he stocks the fish in the buckets, covering them with ice.<br/>
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</div><p>The morning after that, the rains come.</p><p>The fisherman he works for tells him to go home, that the seas aren’t fit for sailing, and Sehun is soaked to the bone by the time he returns home. He watches the torrent fall from open skies. He washes his father, pats his head dry, pushing his hair away from his face. </p><p>“Worry not,” Sehun whispers. “Your fever is dying.” </p><p>His father moans softly, nodding for a moment, and Sehun feeds him cold broth slowly. </p><p>Once his brother returns from his work with the tanner, Sehun prepares himself in the evening. </p><p>“Where are you going?” his brother asks, stripping himself of the hooded cloak, hanging it to dry. He smirks, looking amused. “Why do you smell of prettily perfumed oil, whore? Going to see a girl?” </p><p>He tries not to let his face betray him. </p><p>“I am… I am going to seek the water god’s guidance once more. I must offer my thanks,” Sehun says. “I will be back by the morning.” </p><p>His brother loses his amusement, instead looking quite confused. </p><p>“Are you making fun?” </p><p>“No,” Sehun says. “I was waiting for your return.” He looks back to their father.  </p><p>“Brother, it is not safe to journey in this storm.” He goes to the door and pushes it open. The air is thick with water, electricity. “Better to go in the morning, once the rains have passed.” </p><p>“I must go tonight,” Sehun says. </p><p>“Sehun,” his brother says staunchly, “our worries are no more.” He gestures back to their father. “Look, sweet brother. He is mending. The medicines are ridding him of his sickness.” </p><p>“Thank Suho.” </p><p>“Thank Suho,” his brother says slowly, looking him over. “I suppose there is no convincing you?” </p><p>“No,” Sehun says. “I must pass along my thanks.” </p><p>“Pass mine along as well, then,” his brother says cheerily, “if you don’t get struck by lightning on the way.” </p><p>Sehun wastes no more time. He pulls the hood up over his head as he journeys, and just like he knew he could, he dances through the lightning strikes. He is kept safe, preserved under glass, and Sehun is thankful for the protection. </p><p>His feet and legs are wet by the time he arrives at the temple, so he strips himself of his sandals again, only pulls the hood from his head once he is underneath the archway. He looks, searching for Suho, but he is nowhere to be found. </p><p>His heart sinks in his chest, sinks all the way down to his feet, freezing and still. He steps forward into the temple, the light from the lamps strangely cold in color. He goes to the statue, and he looks upon the white face. He strokes his fingers along it, wondering if he missed his opportunity. Wondering if he should have left with him then when he had the chance. </p><p>A sudden gust of wind streaks through the temple, and the lights die. Sehun whips around only to find a small shadowy figure standing underneath the archway. </p><p>“Who prays during such a terrible storm?” Suho asks. “What divine devotion is this?” </p><p>“My lord,” Sehun says, “I thought you’d not—”</p><p>“Remembered? How could I forget the likes of you?”  </p><p>Sehun’s eyes wet with tears. He’s worked so hard, and seeing Suho’s face, hearing his words… it is the most heavenly sight, the most exquisite sound. </p><p>He steps forward, and he is bathed in the black of night, the shadows only emphasizing the gentle cuts of his muscles and bones. He is the finest thing Sehun’s ever seen, and his stomach turns over with lust as he remembers… remembers their fated night together. </p><p>“You came,” Suho praises. “You remembered.” </p><p>“I have not thought of anything besides you since that night,” Sehun whispers, quiet like if he raises his voice, the vision before him will disappear like smoke in the open air. “I have not dreamt of another.” </p><p>“None but me?” Suho asks. “Did your taste of the waters please you so?”</p><p>“Yes, my lord,” Sehun says. “It pleased me greatly.” </p><p>Suho smiles, the corners of his mouth clever. He reaches out a hand. “Come, boy.” He grins, teeth white and perfect. It makes Sehun’s heart hurt. “Sip again from the mouth of the river.” </p><p>Sehun goes without another thought, and he takes Suho in his arms, letting the passion and love overwhelm him, driving every other thought from his head. He kisses Suho, and he moans out. It tastes just as sweet as he remembered it if not sweeter. He holds him closer, their bodies making a crisp line. </p><p>“You have missed me,” Suho gasps when they part, and he strokes a hand down Sehun’s body. Even through his clothes, it feels delicious. “You are decisive.” Suho grins at him. “Have you held another in the interim?” </p><p>“No, my lord,” Sehun says, and he presses a kiss to Suho’s cheek, eager to fuck him again. “Never any but you.” </p><p>“Do you save yourself like one of the light god’s sacred ones?” Suho asks, and he holds Sehun by the hair as he kisses down Suho’s throat. “Is your love an offering to me?” </p><p>“Yes, my lord. Whenever you will have me, I am yours to take.” </p><p>“Sweet words,” Suho praises, and he pulls gently at Sehun’s strands. “<i>Lovely</i> words.” </p><p><i>True words</i>, Sehun amends silently. </p><p>“I thought I would hear your prayers,” Suho whispers. “I thought I would see you every sunrise, prostrate in front of my temple.” </p><p><i>Is that what you wanted of me,</i> Sehun wonders. <i>Is that what I should have done?</i></p><p>“Forgive me, my lord,” Sehun says, and his lips move against the beating pulse at Suho’s throat. <i>Beating with what,</i> he wonders. <i>Magic?</i> “I wanted to come. I did.” </p><p>“Why didn’t you? Are you angry with me?” Suho asks excitedly. “Did you seethe with every sunny morn? Did your teeth drip with acid whenever you saw the calm sea?” </p><p><i>Yes,</i> Sehun thinks. <i>I begged for a storm. I waited. I prayed before I woke and before I slept.</i></p><p>“No, my lord,” Sehun says, “but I’ve missed you terribly.” </p><p>“Doesn’t it make your stomach turn? I sat in my grand kingdom in the ocean, and I ate, drank, slept, and fucked… doesn’t it make you furious?” </p><p>“Like the rage of your storms?” Sehun asks. </p><p>“Punish me for my absence,” Suho says. “Fuck me like the wretch I am.” </p><p>Sehun understands then. It is not but a game. Suho is playing with him. He wants something very specific from Sehun, and it is Sehun’s job to give it to him. It is Sehun’s job to rise to the occasion. </p><p>He reaches out before he can tell himself otherwise, and his fingers circle Suho’s wrist. He holds him as though if he didn’t, Suho would slip away. And he very well might, Sehun reminds himself. He very well might. </p><p>“Take me,” Suho whispers, and Sehun does not begrudge him any longer. </p><p>He’d hate to earn his ire.  </p><p>He pulls sharply on Suho’s wrist, and he crushes their bodies together in a righteous fury. He kisses Suho like the storm that bristles outside the temple walls, clashing with light in the currant-colored sky. It is an undeniable fact that Sehun never feels more dangerous than when he is kissing Suho, almost like the god’s anger and spite, all the worst parts of him drip into Sehun. </p><p>Drip, drip, drip. Raindrops into the ocean. </p><p>He licks into Suho’s mouth and makes him moan, swallows the sounds until they fill him with a high-streaking fire. Did Suho wait just so that he would get a rise out of Sehun? Did he wait until the last possible moment that he could? Did he wait until Sehun sought him out? </p><p>“I dreamt of you,” Suho says quietly, almost so quiet that Sehun misses it, but the temple is empty except for them, so even whispers reverberate. </p><p>“What did you dream of?” </p><p>“I dreamt of you holding me just like this,” Suho says, and his lips brush against Sehun’s ear, wavering down Sehun’s body. “I dreamt of us coming together once more. I dreamt of your lust. It was hateful.” </p><p>“Is that how my lord demands me?” </p><p>“Yes,” Suho whispers, and it is a hiss, slippery and cruel. He pulls Sehun back by the hair, staring into his eyes. “Yes, I demand you like that.” </p><p>He pushes Suho away from him though he wants with all his heart to keep him close, shape him with tender hands. If his lord demands it, he is only a servant. He will provide so that he might not seek another. Never any other than him. </p><p>Suho, for his part, looks delighted by the action. He sucks in a shocked breath, chest rising and falling handsomely. </p><p>“Now what?” he teases, a mischievous glint in his eye. His gaze streams down Sehun’s form. “No matter if I’ve plucked you, you’re still but a flower.”  </p><p><i>No more,</i> Sehun thinks. <i>I will prove that I can give him what he wants.</i> </p><p>"On your back, my lord," Sehun commands. </p><p>"How will you take me?" Suho asks, and he lies on the marble floor, spreading his legs. "No eager play beforehand? No striking me for my insolence?" </p><p>"Is that what my lord desires?" Sehun spits, and Suho closes his eyes, pleased. It only goads Sehun on. "Put over my knee like a spoiled child?" He can barely get the words out, so filled with aroused shame that it makes him dizzy.</p><p>"More," Suho commands. </p><p>"More?" Sehun says. "My lord wants whatever I give him, doesn't he? Whether it's to be struck with my hand or with my cock... it matters not to you." </p><p>"Yes," Suho says reverently, like Sehun is praying to him. "More." </p><p>"Does my lord want to be thrust to the bottom of the river?"</p><p>"Yes. Bathe me in filth," Suho whispers, and his hands come to untie the front of his white robe, pulling until it falls to his side. It bears his naked body to the cold, electric air. His pink nipples are hard when his fingers stroke along them. "Come to me, fisherboy. Show me how your passion has risen only for me." </p><p>Sehun is bad at playing, he figures, because he does not hold back, only gets to his knees  between Suho's split legs. Sehun pulls at Suho's cock, makes him whimper and whine, and even if he wasn't already aroused, so full of lust that it is practically spilling out of him, Suho's gentle mewls would certainly get him there. </p><p>“Yes,” Suho whispers, “<i>yes</i>.” </p><p>Sehun thinks for a second about spitting into his hand to slick the way, but just as the thought enters his head, Suho’s cock beads wetly, leaks like he’s spending slowly. Sehun eagerly works his hand over the slickness, and Suho moans, gingerly working his hips as he thrusts into the hole of Sehun’s hand. </p><p>Sehun is fascinated in a faraway sort of way by the reactions he can pull from Suho, a <i>god</i>, and even something as simple as stroking Suho’s cock fills him with this indescribable sort of… <i>power</i>. </p><p>He twists his wrist, rubs the rough center of his palm gently against the head until Suho whines and shakes. He is so sensitive, responds so <i>well</i>, and Sehun is filled head to toe with vigor. He is giving this god pleasure. He has him in the palm of his hand. He controls him. Sehun curls his toes as the arousal drips through him. </p><p>Drip, drip, drip. </p><p>“Nearly,” Suho whispers, but the word is loud in the quiet of the temple. “Please, I’m nearly—”</p><p>It’s then that Sehun pulls his hand away, and Suho’s eyes spring open as a cry falls from his open mouth. Suho’s back arches, seeking Sehun’s touch to push him gently over the edge. </p><p>“Bitch,” Suho curses. “<i>Whore</i>.” </p><p>“Do you wish to spend?” </p><p>“Yes, you whore, I wish to spend,” Suho says, frustrated in the cutest way Sehun’s ever seen. </p><p>“Shall I make you?” Sehun teases. </p><p>“<i>Yes.</i>” </p><p>“And if I teased you again?” Sehun asks, and he slips a light grip over Suho’s cock once more, wet and too loose to give him the satisfaction he craves. “If I brought you… so close?” </p><p>Suho breathes heavily, light dawning on him. </p><p>Sehun draws a quick conclusion. He is not afraid of Suho, no matter how powerful, no matter how strong. He loves him, and he would do anything for him, but he is not scared. Suho has every opportunity to hurt him, to harm him, and yet here they are, playing silly games, petting each other with adoring hands. </p><p>“You hide much from me, don’t you?” Suho says with a filthy grin. “Many <i>impure</i> thoughts.” </p><p>“No, my lord,” Sehun says. “I’ve just not had enough time to share them with you yet.” </p><p>Suho groans, sitting up sharply. His hands go to the back of Sehun’s neck, and he drags him into a passionate kiss. Sehun grinds into the cradle of Suho’s hips, driving his cock alongside Suho’s. It is slippery, and Sehun groans into Suho’s mouth as they move against each other. </p><p><i>Another desecration</i>, he thinks. <i>Another sacred sacrilege.</i> </p><p>“You move like the waves,” Suho praises, mouth kissing absently down Sehun’s neck as he grinds their bodies together hard on the temple floor. “You move like tides, pushing and pulling.” </p><p>“Does it please you?” </p><p>Suho’s hands skim down Sehun’s body, and he holds him by the ass, playing with his flesh. “Nothing about you displeases me, fisherboy.” He digs his nails into Sehun’s ass, makes Sehun cry out. “Every part of you was perfectly made. If I didn’t crave you inside me, I would put you on the floor and fuck you until you begged for immortality…  just so that it never ended.”</p><p>Sehun moans sharply, and the sound bounces back off the walls, hits him squarely in the chest. He sounds so… depraved. </p><p>He craves control, so he gets back to his knees, spreads Suho’s legs wide. It makes him gasp, makes him shiver beneath Sehun’s body. Sehun pets down the outsides of Suho’s thighs, playing with the muscles. He stares down at Suho’s body hungrily. </p><p>"Are you sure this is the way you want it?" Suho asks. "You've already had me like this." </p><p>Sehun gives Suho's cock another quick stroke, staring down with fascination as it beads with moisture, shiny and clear. "What other ways are there to have you?" </p><p>Suho laughs softly, and he closes his legs. He puts the bottom of his feet on Sehun's thighs, kicking him backwards. Before he knows what's happening, Suho is flipped onto his stomach, abdomen pressed low to the floor as his knees hold him in the air. </p><p>"Surely you know this," Suho teases, and his knees spread a little wider, his stance widening as he presents himself like a dog to be mounted. He looks back at Sehun with a grin. "I know men. I know what they talk about. Face-fucking, ass-licking, I’m sure you’ve heard it all..." </p><p>Sehun's face heats to an uncomfortable degree as his mind gives him images he didn't ask for: Suho on his knees, Sehun's hands at his cheeks. Mouth open and wet. Swallowing around him. Thrusting into his throat. Tight heat, <i>so, so</i> wet. </p><p>"You amaze me," Suho whispers. "If I ravage your chastity anymore, I'm convinced someone will turn around and make me mortal." </p><p>"No, my lord," Sehun says, deferential in light of his thoughts. "Never, my lord." </p><p>"Enough," Suho says, and he reaches back behind his body, resting his cheek on the cool marble as he spreads himself wide. "Fuck me." </p><p>Sehun struggles to breathe as he pushes inside him without another thought, without another word. A moan shatters out of Suho's chest, and he lets go of himself, hands slapping down to the marble as he pushes himself up, rocking back on the length of Sehun's cock.</p><p>"You feel even better than I remember, fisherboy," Suho says, and he wiggles from side to side as though he's testing a saddle for the first time. "Mm. You fill me well." </p><p>"My lord, you..." </p><p>"Tell me, boy," Suho says, and he grinds his ass back into Sehun. "But tell me as you desecrate me." </p><p>“You feel so good, my lord,” Sehun says, and he barely holds himself back from digging his fingernails into the skin and bone at Suho’s hips. </p><p>“Praise me more,” Suho says, and his… his hole <i>wets</i> as Sehun thrusts into him again. He takes one of Sehun’s hands from his hips, holds it in his own. “Do you feel me?” </p><p>“Yes, my lord.” </p><p>“Then praise me,” Suho orders, and he pulls Sehun forward as he drives himself back onto Sehun’s cock. “Do it.” </p><p>“You are so pretty,” Sehun says quickly, “so pretty and fair, my lord. You are the prettiest of all the gods.” </p><p>“F-Fuck.” It is another shattered sound, and it makes Sehun’s hips work on their own accord. “Did you think about me spread out like this as you sailed my seas?” </p><p>“Yes, my lord,” Sehun admits. “I did.” </p><p>“Can’t look upon the water without dreaming of my pleasure, can you?” </p><p>“No, my lord. I can’t.” </p><p>Suho groans, and he lets go of Sehun’s hand, slaps his palms against the marble in front of him. Sehun bites his lip as he takes Suho by the hips once more, and this time, he does not hold himself back, letting his deepest, worst wishes come to the forefront. He digs his nails into Suho’s flesh, half-moons of pain that make Suho cry out. He leaks around Sehun’s cock, unbelievably wet, unbelievably tight and hot. He works his hips eagerly, once again overcome with the understanding that this could be his last taste of the water. This moment… he must take advantage. He must find as much ecstasy as possible. He must drink until his stomach fucking hurts. </p><p>He fucks in wildly, hastily, with abandon. He fucks Suho like he isn’t a god, like he’s nothing but a common whore he could pick up at the local brothel. He fucks Suho like he doesn’t care about him, like he doesn’t adore him, cherish him above all else. </p><p>Their lust is immeasurable, their arousal feverish. Sehun lets the sounds of desire and want fall out over Suho’s back like raindrops. </p><p>Drip, drip, drip. </p><p>"Hit me," Suho moans, and Sehun stares down at his body, the ripple that runs through his flesh every time Sehun pushes inside. "Hit me." </p><p>"My lord..." </p><p>"I command it," Suho says, "strike me." </p><p>Sehun has no choice but to strike him firmly across the ass, and when he does, Suho clenches so hard that Sehun has to double over to stop himself from spending. Suho groans deeply, and Sehun bites his lip so hard that he thinks he might taste blood. </p><p>"Again," Suho says, and this time, the words come like a whine, like it feels so very good to be fucked and spanked at the same time, like he can't imagine being without it. "Sehun, again."</p><p>It's the first time, Sehun thinks, that Suho has called him by his given name, and even without his godliness, his power, his loveliness, his <i>magic</i>, that alone would be enough to make him obey. </p><p>He raises himself back up, rubbing his palm against the soft, warm skin. It makes Suho whimper beneath him. He spanks Suho harder than before. The temple rumbles with the storm, with the sound of Suho's moan. He is gripping Sehun so tightly that all the pleasure is beginning to hurt, but that sharpness only makes it better, only makes it that much more <i>desirable</i>. </p><p>"Again," Suho cries, "again, Sehun, <i>again</i>." </p><p>Sehun takes him at his word, at his blistering, hot word, and he hits him until his hand aches, until he feels himself teetering at the edge of orgasm. He fucks Suho so hard and fast, so delicious and <i>mean</i> that he bites his tongue on a fervent apology. Suho moans like a slut, a whore, and Sehun swallows so hard his throat aches. </p><p>Suho spends on the offbeat of Sehun's thrust, dragging Sehun over with him. It sizzles and crackles like a bonfire, his whole body lit up from the inside out, and the only thing that’s able to put him out is the feeling of Suho pulling him down flat, their bodies collapsing to the marble. Cool, sweet marble. Their sounds echo and vibrate, bodies writhing, skin wet. It is so hot that he almost can’t believe he hasn’t turned completely to ash. </p><p>He thought that, after the first time, he would never reach such a pleasure again. Now, he’s had it twice. </p><p>Certainly he must be the most blessed person on the earth. </p><p>He presses kisses to the back of Suho’s neck, gentle apologies, hoping that Suho will spare him some chiding, some teasing. It’s the first time he’s ever let his emotions, his arousal get the better of him, but when Suho laughs softly, Sehun thinks that it probably won’t be the last. </p><p>Perhaps he was right. Perhaps passion is an infection. Perhaps it only grows as the days go by. </p><p>They fall to their sides on the temple floor, and Suho stares into his eyes as he pets the sweat and hair away from Sehun’s eyes. Sehun resists the urge to reach between Suho’s legs to feel the spend, dripping, dripping, dripping. </p><p>They watch each other in near silence. Suho searches Sehun’s face like he’s looking for something specific. Sehun wants to hide away, but he can’t. Not from Suho. </p><p>“Your father,” Suho says. “Is he well?” </p><p>Sehun draws breath sharply. “He is well, my lord. T-Thank you.” </p><p>More thick quiet. Sehun does not know what to say, so he stretches out, holding Suho by the cheek. </p><p>“He will die, you know,” Suho says, and his eyes are hard. </p><p>It puts the fear back into Sehun’s heart. Lancing. Sharp. </p><p>“H-He will?” </p><p>“Just the same as you,” Suho says, and he searches Sehun’s face. “Is it a surprise to you, fisherboy?” </p><p>He knows he should temper himself, hold himself a bit more carefully, but in the clarity of the afterglow, he can’t. He is powerless. Flesh stripped and bared to the open air. </p><p>Sehun turns away from him angrily. “I don’t need to be made aware of my own mortality.” </p><p>“And yet you worry for your father,” Suho says, and he takes Sehun by the shoulder, pulls him back over to face Suho again. He stares into Sehun’s eyes. “He is mortal too, you know. You shouldn’t let it bother you.” </p><p>“I… it is hard to let a loved one go,” Sehun says, and tears form in his eyes. “I want to help him. I want to keep him alive for as long as I can.” </p><p>“So you sought my help,” Suho says. “Very well. Haven’t I helped you?” </p><p>Sehun lowers his voice to a whisper. “Was it all you?” </p><p>Suho laughs, pressing a kiss to the center of Sehun’s forehead. He lowers Sehun back down to the marble floor of the temple, licking a line down Sehun’s throat. </p><p>“<i>Was it all me</i>,” he mocks, and he holds himself over Sehun, thumb brushing against Sehun’s cheek. “Yes, young one, it was me. I spared small silver, and I gave you a pleasant day on my waters. And with only that, I made it so that he could live a while longer. For you, boy. Just for you.” </p><p>Sehun’s heart pulses with warmth, and he bites his lip. </p><p>“Do you loathe me because of it? Will you revile me for it?” Suho asks. “Holding back from others when I give so easily, so freely to you?” </p><p>Strangely, the thought had not even occurred to Sehun. <i>Does he think I’m better than I truly am?</i> </p><p>“No, my lord,” Sehun says. </p><p>“I infect you,” Suho whispers, and he sounds neither proud of it nor troubled by it, as though he is merely stating a fact. “Your purity wanes in my moonlight.” </p><p><i>No</i>, Sehun wants to say. <i>No, it is just that I adore being yours. All my life and until I am no longer, I will want to be yours, my lord.</i> </p><p>Sehun says nothing, only holds Suho close to him. They lie on the marble floor, and </p><p>“Won’t you come with me?” Suho wonders. “I can keep you in riches. I will hold no others above you. You could have all the power you desired.” </p><p>It is appealing. It is enthralling. He imagines himself under the waters, the gentle rolling sea lapping at him. What divine food, drink might he find there? What riches might Suho bestow upon him if he was held in esteem? They’ve found great pleasure in each other twice now… perhaps it could be an endless pleasure if he let it become so.</p><p>“I must care for my father,” Sehun says finally, as though the words were carved into the floor below them. </p><p>“Don’t you have a brother? Tall? Nearly as fair?” </p><p>Sehun snorts. </p><p>“If it is only him, the only way he could provide for both of them is… becoming a soldier,” Sehun says. “He would be away. There would be no one to look after him.” </p><p>Suho makes a soft noise of discontent. “And I suppose there is no convincing you otherwise?” He sighs like he already knows Sehun’s answer, and he rolls over, giving Sehun his back. It is undeniably beautiful flesh, and Sehun strokes his fingers along it. “I am not keen on the word <i>no</i>, so when you deny me, it makes me want you even more.” </p><p>Sehun flares with heat, placing his palm flat upon Suho’s shoulder blade. </p><p>“My lord, I would follow you anywhere,” Sehun whispers. </p><p>“Honeyed words spoken with bitter lips will only ever taste bitterly,” Suho says unhappily. He turns, looking back at Sehun over his shoulder. “What if it was only for a day?” </p><p>“My lord?” </p><p>Suho turns to him eagerly, and Sehun cannot help himself. He leans in for a kiss, one that Suho returns gleefully, and by the time they pull back from each other, they are breathing heavily. Suho’s mouth is wet, and Sehun slicks the pad of his thumb along it. </p><p>“Visit the kingdom,” Suho offers, and he turns to kiss the very center of Sehun’s palm. “They will not miss you for one day, fisherboy.” </p><p>He is liquid temptation, moving to push Sehun onto his back. He climbs onto Sehun like a curving stream, smiling down at him. He lowers his mouth slowly, a crashing wave crested in white foam. He knows exactly what he is, exactly how to torture Sehun. </p><p>“One day,” Sehun breathes. “I could spare a day, I believe.” </p><p>“I’ll take you tonight,” Suho says. “And by the end, you will beg me not to leave. You’ll want to be my kept boy. Held above the rest. Pleasured and powdered and <i>perfect</i>.” </p><p>Sehun’s heart aches, for he knows it to be true. The god has never lied to him, and he doubts he ever will.<br/>
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</div><p>Suho accompanies Sehun on the long journey home, holding him by the hand like if he lets go, Sehun will try to escape. Sehun does not know how to say that he’s never been happier, never felt more special, never felt quite so sure that his life has purpose.</p><p>He’s been chosen by a deity, a god amongst men. Surely, that is good for something. </p><p>“Shall I surprise them?” Suho asks, fingers laced through Sehun’s. “Imagine their faces. Imagine if they <i>knew</i>.” </p><p>Sehun’s pulse quickens at the thought. No doubt people would treat him differently. Would it be such a bad thing? </p><p>“You’d never allow me,” Suho says. “You’re much too good for that.” </p><p><i>Am I,</i> Sehun wonders. </p><p>Lately, he’s felt more and more like he might like a taste of luxury. It turns out that once was not enough, and now that he’s had Suho again, he’s even more convinced that it won’t ever be enough. Not ever. </p><p>“What will you tell them?” Suho wonders. “Are you going to tell them that you’ve been corrupted by some great and powerful demon?” </p><p>“I suppose I’ll just say I’m taking a fishing trip,” Sehun says. </p><p>“Ah, my little fisherboy,” Suho says happily, and he squeezes Sehun’s hand in his. “I do adore you.” </p><p>Sehun’s heart goes hot in his chest, and he tries to avoid the blush rising to his face. He doesn’t mean it the way Sehun wants him to mean it, but still, it makes him feel… special. Loved. <i>Adored.</i> Almost like a god himself. </p><p>It is a blasphemous thought, and he shoves it away as they approach the small house. Suho lifts his finger to his lips, <i>quiet now</i>, and Sehun goes inside. His brother is resting on his bed, his father fast asleep. </p><p>“Where’s the cloak?” his brother asks. “Why aren’t you wet?” </p><p>“The storm ceased,” Sehun answers. “I don’t have much time.” </p><p>“Wh—What are you talking about? Why have you been so strange these past moons?” </p><p>“I’m to take a trip with the fishers,” Sehun says quickly, and he packs a few things in a bag, a spare chiton, his oils. “Mandatory, but the pay will be… quite good.” </p><p>His brother shrugs. “As you say. Hope you fare well, then. I worry that the storms will start again while you’re out on the open sea.” </p><p><i>I’m sure that they will,</i> Sehun thinks to himself, and he hugs his brother close before he goes. </p><p>“It’s only a night away,” his brother laughs, hugging Sehun close. “You’re so soft-hearted, brother.” </p><p>“I know,” Sehun says, eyes shut tight. “I know.” </p><p>Suho promised just a day, but he is a god, after all. Willful and clever. There’s no telling when Sehun will actually be back. </p><p>He presses a kiss to his father’s forehead before he leaves, shutting the door behind him. Suho smiles at him, delight written plainly over his face. He sticks out his hand for Sehun to take. </p><p>“Shall we, fisherboy?” Suho asks. “The sea is full of wonders. Many pretty things, chief among them being—”</p><p>“You?” Sehun asks. </p><p>“What a devoted servant you are,” Suho says brightly. “Oh, everyone will <i>love</i> you.”</p><p>He leads Sehun to the water’s edge before pulling him in. The salt and seaweed bathe him, swallow him whole.<br/>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>sorry about this, it's just, you know... whatever ! its kind of a goofy story, and it is very indulgent but sometimes thats what i need in order to keep writing, u know what i mean? </p><p>i have a vague idea where this story is going, but i am not writing with themes or deep meanings in mind. i just kinda want to write about gods and how they play w humans and also some sex. does that make sense? anyhow! hope you enjoyed. i'll probably see you next week. i love writing trash and also garbage. thanks for reading ! </p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/okamiwind">my twitter</a> | <a href="https://curiouscat.me/okamiwind">my curiouscat</a></p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. crash</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sehun didn’t know if it would work when he finally got beneath the waves. He’s heard tales of men succumbing to the water. Suho gives mortals the ability to breathe in this place. Sehun knows he could just as easily take it away.</p><p>He reminds himself to be on his best behavior, to be at his most deferential. </p><p>Suho holds his hands as they sink to the bottom of the ocean, and Sehun sucks in water, chest heaving. </p><p>“Relax, fisherboy,” Suho smiles. “No harm shall befall you here.” Sehun looks at him, studying his face. “Have you forgotten? I am imbued with immeasurable powers.” </p><p>“I have not forgotten, my lord.” </p><p>“Good,” Suho praises, “you’ll do well to remember.” </p><p>Sehun tightens his hand around Suho’s as they descend, as his body becomes accustomed to the strange weightlessness. It’s not unpleasant, not in the slightest. In fact, with the floating feeling that swells in his chest, it is the most relaxed he’s been in quite some time. </p><p>“There,” Suho says, near a whisper, “you’ve become accustomed to it now, haven’t you?” </p><p>“Yes, my lord,” Sehun says, and bubbles come from his lips as he speaks. “I believe so.” </p><p>“I am glad to hear it. It takes some longer than others.” He gives Sehun a wry look. “Perhaps because you’ve had a good long taste of the sea before, you take to it quicker than the rest.” </p><p>Sehun’s stomach turns inside him. “Perhaps.” </p><p>Suho leads him deeper and deeper under, and when he can no longer see the surface, Sehun goes wide-eyed as he realizes how far beneath the waves they are. The sun streaks through the blue waters, but he can’t see the sky. Nothing but the sea. </p><p>“Nearly there,” Suho says. “Are you shaking with anticipation, young one?” </p><p>“Certainly,” Sehun whispers. “I hope I do not upset you, my lord.” </p><p>“What do you mean? How could <i>you</i> ever upset <i>me</i>?” </p><p>Sehun nods. “As you say.” </p><p>“No, explain it,” Suho says, and he tugs Sehun deeper as he swims down. “I won’t ask you again.” </p><p>A familiar bead of fear laces through his blood, and Sehun breathes in deeply, his exhale bubbling out again. </p><p>“S-Simply that… I hope I do not disappoint, my lord.” </p><p>Suho frowns. “Do you intend to disappoint?” </p><p>“No, my lord, only that—”</p><p>“Only?” </p><p>“You’ve not spent longer than an evening with me,” Sehun says softly. “I would hate for you to suddenly discover that you do not find my company… suitable.” </p><p>Suho’s expression changes, and Sehun cannot say what exactly the expression says. He’s only ever seen Suho twice before, and though he is dynamic and wonderful and <i>strange</i>, the profoundness of their interactions has only ever been skin-deep. He has seen lust, pure desire, excitement and disappointment, but never whatever Suho is  feeling now. </p><p>“Your company will be suitable,” Suho assures him. He turns to Sehun with a smile. “Don’t you know that I can see deep into your heart?”</p><p>“Yes, my lord.” </p><p>“Don’t you know that I take only that which speaks to me? That from the moment I saw you in the temple that first night, I knew I would bring you here? That I would need to keep you? That you possess me as I possess you?” </p><p>“M-My lord…” </p><p>“You know,” Suho smiles, “but you’re too good to admit it.” </p><p>He looks away, dragging Sehun down to the bottom of the ocean.<br/>
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</div><p>The journey below takes all night, so by the time they reach their destination, the morning sun is dazzlingly bright, even beneath the tide.</p><p>Sehun cannot believe his eyes when his feet sink to the seafloor. He is sure that he is dreaming when he sees the kingdom. Conch trumpeters herald Suho’s return, harmonies lining Sehun’s skin with goosebumps. </p><p>His castle under the sea is made of pure white stone, but growths of coral and algae crawl over the columns, giving it a distinctly colorful appearance even against the clear blue of the bottom of the ocean. Sehun gawks at it, never having seen something quite so magnificent… or <i>massive</i> even in the distance. The stained glass windows are intricate, shades of aquamarine, green and cerulean. There are wavering banners at either side of the gargantuan archway, and the colors are the same cool palette, Suho’s teardrop symbol embroidered so large that Sehun thinks it must have taken even a team of seamstresses a whole year just to sew them. </p><p>After they pass underneath the archway, they come upon a trio of women strumming harps leant against their shoulders, their fingers tinkling along the strings. It is a lovely song that they play, sweet and luxurious. Their hair streaks up through the water in shades of yellow, brown, and red. Sehun observes in delight for a moment before Suho pulls him away. </p><p>Large braziers line the stone walk to the outer gate, the metal worked from pure silver. Instead of being filled with fire however, large seaweed plants dance in the tides, giving the illusion of green fire. Sehun stares at them as they move, stares out at the scenery. They pass two seashell gardens that line the front of the castle, benches of blue, marbled stone lining the winding walks. There are sculptures, and Sehun’s mouth parts as he takes it all in, overwhelmed by the sheer beauty, the grandiosity, the <i>elegance</i>. </p><p>“Is it fit for you?” Suho wonders, cocky. “Even just for one night?” </p><p>“It is like nothing I have ever seen before, my lord.” </p><p>“Surely not,” Suho says, and he threads his arm through Sehun’s as they walk. “You are unbelievably sheltered.” Sehun looks away, vaguely ashamed of his simple life, but Suho’s hand pats across Sehun’s bicep happily. “I prefer you this way. I do enjoy watching amazement dawn on your face, scaler.” </p><p><i>Scaler</i>, Sehun thinks, biting his lips so that he doesn’t split into a delighted smile. It doesn’t matter what Suho calls him. It all sounds so fond coming from his lips. </p><p>They come upon two large towers once they pass through the outer gate, and Sehun stares up in wonder. Large arched windows are cut into the towers, and spiral staircases start at the east and west of the twins. </p><p>Suho idly points out attractions as they pass through the castle, the stables full of seahorses and the apartments for the kingdom’s servants. There is a grand courtyard, and people are busy rushing past them. Each of them bows towards Suho, reverent but not quite as silly in love as Sehun. He supposes that makes sense, after all. They live in his kingdom. They see him frequently. </p><p>Sehun can’t ever imagine becoming used to Suho’s face, his incredible presence. </p><p>“The temple,” Suho points, and Sehun’s attention turns to the frankly <i>obscenely</i> ornate temple exterior, the archway lined in gold and shimmering blue, seaweed braziers dancing in the wavering water. “The kitchens through there.” </p><p>Sehun whips around, trying to search across the vast gardened area, but he can’t manage to see anything, not when Suho is pulling him through quickly. They are surrounded by verdant greenery, shivering and waving kelp in deep emerald green and navy blue, huge bushes of red algae cut into incredible shapes, excellently kept gatherings of seagrass. The walkways are studded with iridescent seashells and sea glass shaped into diamonds. </p><p>“Come, come,” Suho says, fingers laced through Sehun’s. “There is still much to see.” </p><p><i>How much more could there be?</i> </p><p>They enter through the great hall, and it is even more rich and luxurious than everything previous. There are dozens upon dozens of long milk glass tables, each lined with twelve matching chairs, tufted with navy blue pillows. There is a grand table, a royal throne of live coral at the center. The coral is divine, orange and magenta and yellow. Sehun gasps as he looks upon the grandeur, rolling and shining like the sun through the sea. </p><p>He lets his imagination run wild, his mind conjuring up daydreams of grand parties, feasts and celebrations of insurmountable luxury. He imagines plate after plate, course after course, guests dancing to the harp and chime’s song. He imagines himself next to Suho at the head of the grand table, imagines their hands tangled together. What would they think of him? What would they say if Suho held such a common boy up to such a level?  </p><p>“What are you thinking?” Suho asks. </p><p>“J-Just about how beautiful your palace is, my lord,” Sehun says. </p><p>Suho looks him over, a strange tension palpable between them. Sehun half-expects another question, half-expects to be chided for his ignorance, but instead, Suho simply turns on his heel and walks out through the door leading to the rest of the castle, leaving Sehun on his own until he is able to regain his composure and follow along. </p><p>They walk through many twisting hallways, each leading to another delight. There is an incredible gallery of art, a small closed theater. There is a library, there are boudoirs, there are ice rooms. Sehun can't quite figure out how those work. </p><p>“Through here is the conservatory,” Suho gestures, not giving Sehun enough time to even look into the room. What he does spy is amazing enough: a violet-tinged sea glass ceiling. “Come, come. We don’t have all day.” </p><p>They twist through the building, effortless and easy, and Sehun lets himself be whisked past various rooms, bakerooms and pantries and the like. They climb staircases, and there are dozens of apartments, people milling about through the water as if there is nothing wondrous, nothing amazing about this castle. </p><p>Sehun cannot imagine. He could live here for the rest of time, and he would never tire of it, never become accustomed to its delights. </p><p>“Let me show you where I rest my head,” Suho whispers. “<i>Then</i> you’ll know true delight.” </p><p>Sehun is led through the castle, stunned by the art and the wonderfully kept flower arrangements on pillars. He doesn’t even realize he is standing before Suho’s apartment until he is staring up at the grandest set of double doors he’s ever laid eyes upon. They too are made of living coral, whirling designs with winking eyes, but the frame is bright gold, so bright it hurts Sehun’s eyes to behold it. He steps back with a gasp, and Suho smiles at Sehun as he waves a hand to the side. </p><p>The doors part, and Sehun is forced yet again to catch his breath. </p><p>Suho’s chambers are the height of luxury, and Sehun gasps as he steps into the interior of the room. The bed is over-sized, the largest bed that Sehun’s ever seen, crafted from what looks to be a strong grey stone. There is a headboard carved from a giant white clam shell, and the feet of the bed are cut like the curls of ocean waves. The cushions are plush, plentiful, and the bedclothes are colorful, violet and soft, pale blue and crisp white. The curtains are deep navy, parting to reveal the shaking sunlight streaming through the round windows. </p><p>Sehun turns to Suho, and Suho seems completely delighted by his response. Tears leap to Sehun’s eyes as he fully understands for the first time the immensity of the way his life has changed. </p><p>Suho goes to the armoire along the wall, cracking it open. Fine silks and wool and cotton spill from the shelves and drawers, all dripping with richness. </p><p>“What do you think?” Suho asks, hand swiping across the various robes and chitons, underclothes and pants. “Shall I dress you?” </p><p>“I’m already dressed, my lord,” Sehun offers. “W-We’ve only just arrived.” </p><p>Suho turns to him, confused. “And?” He nods at Sehun’s clothing. “Undress, boy. Let me pick your attire.” Sehun hesitates, and Suho raises his brows sharply. “Well? <i>Go.</i>”  </p><p>Sehun leaps into motion, hurriedly stripping himself of his clothes, letting them slowly fall to the floor before picking them up, attempting to fold them up neatly with shaking hands. </p><p>He stands before Suho, hands held in front of his manhood shamefully. He dares not look Suho in the eye as his erection rises. The attention of a god… how could anyone blame him? </p><p>“Oh, what’s <i>this</i>?” Suho teases, stepping forward and trailing a hand along the breadth of Sehun’s shoulders. “Have I trained you so well now?” </p><p>“M-My lord.” </p><p>“Yes,” Suho says. “Do I need to service you before I’m able to have my way with you?” </p><p>“N-No, my lord,” Sehun says, and he bites his lip. “Just, um, give it one moment. I swear it will go away on its own.” </p><p>Suho laughs sharply, dragging Sehun by shoulder back towards the bed. The armoire hangs open as Sehun is thrown to the plush bed, surrounded in rich purple bedclothes. Suho straddles Sehun lowly across the thighs, looking down at Sehun’s cock as though he is a meal to be consumed. Devoured. </p><p>Heat thrums through Sehun’s body. </p><p>“Now why would I want to do something foolish like <i>let it go</i>?” Suho asks, and he bats Sehun’s cock once with his hand. “When it presents itself so nicely to me?” </p><p>“My lord,” Sehun shudders, hips attempting to rise from the bed. </p><p>“Every time you rise for me, I will have you,” Suho whispers, and he leans down to kiss across Sehun’s abdomen. “You are the sun, fisherboy, and I will bask in this light all day <i>long</i>.” </p><p>Sehun sucks in air, the water bubbling in front of him as Suho swallows him down, throat tight, warm, and <i>wet</i>. </p><p><i>Everything is wet here,</i> Sehun thinks deliriously, clawing at the sheets in order to hold himself down. </p><p>Suho pulls back with a wet <i>pop</i> of his lips, and he sticks out his tongue, lewdly smacking the head of Sehun’s cock against it. Sehun’s mouth falls open in desperation as he lies there, useless and manipulated. Suho kisses against the tip, tongue flicking under the ridge, and Sehun moans sharply, needily, <i>wantonly</i>. </p><p>“Does it please you that I want you so much?” Suho whispers, and he gently licks Sehun’s cock, teasing and terrible. “Does my eagerness make you feel <i>treasured</i>?” </p><p>“Yes,” Sehun whispers. “Yes, my lord.” </p><p>Suho smiles as he parts his lips, wrapping the seal of his mouth tightly around Sehun’s cock again. He bobs his head, swallowing around Sehun’s length. It is almost excruciatingly good, pleasure mixing with pain as he tries to hold himself back from spending too soon. Suho, of course, seems to enjoy that, lacing his fingers through Sehun’s, squeezing his hands. Sehun digs his nails into Suho’s skin, half moon prayers. </p><p><i>Spare me. Let me breathe.</i> </p><p>Suho pulls off suddenly, smiling as he presses soft, sweet kisses along Sehun’s groin. He almost can’t believe his eyes, can’t believe his <i>luck</i>. He is lying in Suho’s bed. He is being pleasured, <i>worshiped</i> by this god. What has he done to earn such a fate? What has he done to deserve this? </p><p>Suho swallows him down again and again, and Sehun squeezes his eyes shut tight to try and abate the furious pleasure streaming through his blood. It does nothing to help, unfortunately, because he must confront the sounds, the sensations more fully. The slick sounds of his mouth, the flat of his tongue against the head of Sehun’s cock… </p><p>“S—<i>My lord</i>,” Sehun cries suddenly, eyes springing open as he teeters on the edge, “my lord, I—” </p><p>Suho pulls off quickly, giving Sehun a hard squeeze around the balls. He cries out in pleasure-pain, gasping for breath. If the purpose was to pull him back from orgasm, however, it does its job: when he’s finished catching his air, he does not feel nearly so uncontrollable, so reckless and stupid. </p><p>“Is that better?” Suho whispers. </p><p>“Yes, my lord.” </p><p>Suho grins down at him, stroking Sehun’s cock slowly. The tips of his nails skim against it, and Sehun shudders. </p><p>“May I?” Suho asks, thrusting his fist over Sehun’s cock wetly. </p><p>Sehun nods dumbly, and Suho smiles as he straddles Sehun easily, seating himself on Sehun’s cock in one smooth, easy motion. The air is punched from Sehun’s chest. Has it always felt so <i>delicious</i>? So absolutely unreal? </p><p>“You feel so good beneath me,” Suho whispers. “Made to fit inside me.” </p><p>Sehun moans, unable to do anything besides hold Suho by the hips. </p><p>“Imagine,” Suho whispers and he raises himself up before sinking back down, “imagine having this every morning, noon, and night… imagine taking your pleasure wherever and whenever. Imagine indulging in love at every turn.” </p><p>“Yes, my lord.” </p><p>“Can you see it? Can you see our bodies moving like this for a small eternity?” He picks himself up and puts his love back down, and Sehun shakes with desire. “Imagine me wet and ready for you, fisherboy. Can you see that? Can you see how much I crave you?” </p><p>“Yes, my lord.” </p><p>“And do you crave me?” he asks, riding Sehun smoothly, rolls of his hips expert and succulent. “Do you crave me the way I crave you?” </p><p>“Y-Yes, my lord,” Sehun stutters. “Yes, always.” </p><p>“Spend inside my body,” Suho whispers, and his body looks long as he stretches up to the ceiling, working his hips. “Make me <i>wetter</i> than water.” </p><p>Sehun is helpless to hold himself back from his lust, giving in to the overwhelming feeling that grips him tightly across the middle. He spills into Suho’s body, just as he was bade. It is so sharp and perfect that it makes him numb, sizzling numbness like loss of limbs bleeding all through him. </p><p>In the next moment, he feels the wave of Suho’s orgasm wash over him, and he groans out softly, delighted. He has only been here for a short amount of time, and already, he is enthralled. </p><p>When Suho parts from him, he smiles down at Sehun sleepily, collapsing to his chest. Sehun’s body is magically wiped clean, just another one of Suho’s wonders. Sehun shuts his eyes, wrung dry, and he holds Suho in his arms, cuddling him close. </p><p>They rest there for an <i>indulgent</i> amount of time, and by the time Suho speaks, Sehun is very nearly asleep. </p><p>“Tell me how you’re feeling,” Suho says. </p><p>“Wonderful,” Sehun says, and he stares at the lovely, elaborate ceiling tiles, white and inlaid with gold. “A-And I suppose I am worried that I won’t be able to leave, now that I’ve seen such things.” He looks at Suho. “Felt such things.” </p><p>“Oh no, I won’t <i>let</i> you leave,” Suho says, a wry little smile. “Not now, when I’ve finally got you where I want you.” </p><p>“You said one night, did you not?” </p><p>“And you expect me to be satisfied with just that?” Suho asks. “When your beauty is unparalleled? Unchallenged?” </p><p>“My lord… you are the one who possesses the unparalleled, unchallenged beauty.” </p><p>“I am a god,” Suho whispers, and he presses a soft, sweet kiss to Sehun’s chest. “Of course my beauty is unparalleled and unchallenged. But you… you are mortal. No magic swims through your veins. No destiny calls your name. You are simple, uncomplicated, and yet… and yet you are <i>loveliness incarnate</i>.”</p><p>“My lord…” </p><p>“What have I told you about this?” Suho asks. “Accept my words, or else you will feel my wrath.” </p><p>Sehun can’t help the smile that spreads across his face. “Your wrath?” </p><p>Suho pushes up on Sehun’s chest, stares into Sehun’s eyes intimidatingly.  </p><p>“Doubt me, fisherboy?” Suho asks, and his eyes go liquid and blue. Sehun can see the oceans inside him, dancing left to right, right to left. “Doubt me, do you?” </p><p>“No, my lord,” Sehun says, but truthfully, he does. He sincerely doubts Suho would ever be able to harm him, not when his affection is so plain. </p><p>“I’ll show you,” Suho whispers, and then suddenly, Sehun’s mouth is full of water. “Does it taste good?” </p><p>Truthfully, it does, and Sehun lets it slip sweetly down his throat. </p><p>“Yes, my lord,” Sehun whispers. “It tastes wonderful.” </p><p>“Shall I give you another mouthful?” Suho teases. </p><p>“Yes, my lord,” Sehun says. “Another, please.” </p><p>Sehun predicts that they won't move from the chambers for at least another hour, not with the sun streaking through the water, glittering along Suho’s perfect body, gold and lustrous.<br/>
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</div><p>They waste the better part of the morning taking each other, and though Sehun feels vague regret at not seeing more of the kingdom while he has the opportunity, it is nearly impossible to feel it totally. Suho is magnificent, magnanimous when it comes to physical gratification, and so, so good at giving as good as he gets.</p><p>Sehun barely even realizes that it's time for their midday meal when carts are wheeled into the room. Sehun scrambles in an attempt to cover himself, but Suho holds him still. </p><p>“Watch,” he says. “They won’t even dare to look upon you. Not unless I say.”</p><p>Sehun watches as the servants enter the room, all of their eyes lowered just as Suho said they would be. One by one, the platters’ domed covers are withdrawn. Sehun is immediately transfixed. </p><p>The gold platters are lined with delicate assortments of thin cuts of raw fish, small sipping bowls filled with lobster soup, fresh oysters lined in circles with a few lemon wedges at the center. Sehun has lived by the sea all his life, but he’s never seen such plated elegance. He is used to simple fish stews, fish fried in butter and sprinkled with salt. If there was little catch, they would dig for clams on the shore, boil them, and eat them. </p><p>Things are so different for him now. </p><p>Besides the fish, there are plates of fruits Sehun’s never seen before, red, orange, yellow, pink and pale green. There are some berries, a vibrant magenta, and there are some melons, dark scarlet. Sehun lets his eyes glaze over them like liquid sugar as he looks over to the tray of desserts, tiny cakes dotted with colored candies. There are a few small bowls filled with what looks like whipped cream, but the creams are striped purple and blue. Sehun stares in amazement as the carts are pushed towards them, a king’s bounty.</p><p>Suho waves the servants away, and he turns back towards Sehun, raising his brows. </p><p>“What do you think, fisherboy? Even this simple lunch looks excellent, doesn’t it?” </p><p>“Yes, my lord,” Sehun says. </p><p>“Well, eat then,” Suho says, and he takes a platter of fruit for Sehun to hold. He takes one of the bright pink berries, holding it to Sehun’s mouth. “It tastes even more excellent than it looks.” </p><p>The juice drips down his chin as Suho feeds him berry after berry, each sweeter than the last.<br/>
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</div><p>After lunch, Suho says that there is nothing he’d rather do than spend the entire day and night in his chambers. When he sees Sehun’s face fall slightly, he rolls his eyes, pulling him over to the wardrobe for the second time since he arrived.</p><p>This time, however, he actually dresses Sehun. </p><p>Before long, he is draped in the most expensive clothes he’s ever worn before, even his special yellow chiton paling in comparison to the richly colored robes. It is a deep aquamarine striped with gold around the hems, expertly crafted. He picks up his arms, letting Suho smooth down his sides lovingly before Suho pushes around Sehun’s hair, staring at him like he is sculpting.  </p><p>He steps back, tilting his head to the side as he looks Sehun up and down. Apparently, he must judge Sehun acceptable because he steps forward, pressing a chaste kiss to Sehun’s mouth. </p><p>“It fits you well, pretty one,” Suho praises. “What do you think?” </p><p>He points Sehun towards the mirror in the corner of the room, and Sehun ambles over, staring at himself in the reflection. His mouth falls open in astonishment. He looks like a whole different person. He looks… he looks <i>godly</i>. </p><p>His skin is dewy under the surface of the water, flushed because of their passionate affair. His hair dances through the water handsomely, and the clothes… the clothes. He’s never thought himself beautiful before, but the line of the robes make him look long, strong, <i>desirable</i>. </p><p>“Ah, just one last thing,” Suho whispers, and he approaches Sehun from behind, gently pulling one of the shoulders off until it hangs limply along his chest, bearing his right pectoral. Sehun bites his lip as Suho brushes his thumb against Sehun’s nipple. “There. You are perfect.” </p><p>Sehun turns to Suho, and he takes Suho in a fervent, frantic kiss. He cannot thank his god enough, not for showing him who he could be… not in daydreams, but in <i>real life</i>. </p><p>He presses Suho to his body by the small of his back, and they make a tall line, the two of them. Suho gasps sweetly into Sehun’s mouth, and he pushes Sehun back by the shoulder just a moment later. </p><p>“If you kiss me like that, boy, I’ll never show you <i>anything</i>,” Suho says, and he brushes his fingertips under the shadow of Sehun’s muscle. “Either let me have you again, or allow me to show you the best of this kingdom.” </p><p>“Both,” Sehun whispers. “Please.” </p><p>“As you say,” Suho says, and it sends another thrill through Sehun, head to toe. "One before the other." </p><p>Suho laces his fingers through the gaps between Sehun’s, and they hold hands as they stroll through the castle. It is pleasantly warm, like the water of the baths back home. </p><p>“Well, what would you like to see, honored guest?” Suho says, and he squeezes Sehun’s hand in his. “There is much to do, and little time.” </p><p>“Don’t we have all day?” </p><p>“There will be a feast in your name later in the evening,” Suho says, “so I’m afraid that time is spoken for.” He looks to Sehun with a clever smile. “Is that pleasing to you?” </p><p>“A f-feast?” Sehun says. “For what, my lord?” </p><p>“Did I not just say you were an <i>honored guest</i>?” He looks back to the corridor. “There’s always a feast for an honored guest.” </p><p>“And for a dishonored guest?” </p><p>Suho grins, and Sehun bites across his smile. “I suppose you’ll find out.” He looks at Sehun, wiggles his brow. “If you displease me.” </p><p>Sehun tightens his hand around Suho’s. </p><p>“All right, we’ll spend the afternoon in the southern garden,” Suho says proudly. “The butterflies always impress visitors.” </p><p><i>Butterflies</i>, Sehun dreams. <i>What sort of butterflies live in the ocean?</i> </p><p>He doesn’t ask, instead preferring to let the mystery live a while longer. He is ceremoniously whisked through the castle, and they head through wings Sehun’s never seen before, dreams within dreams. Each open door that they pass gives Sehun a new little sight into life here, people going about their days. They are working, honoring, managing… and Sehun was offered a stay. He could live <i>here</i>. </p><p>“And here we are,” Suho whispers, and he waves the double-doors open to reveal a great veranda looking over the most stunning sea-garden Sehun’s ever seen. “The southern garden.” </p><p>The sand floor of the garden is raked into swirling teardrops, and Sehun carefully steps from the white stone path out into the field. Small green rocks surround each of the excellently manicured plants, flowering yellow and blue seagrasses, large growths of the most vibrantly colored coral, small bushes of kelp and waterwheels, sea whips stretching up towards the surface of the water. There is a gargantuan plumose anemone at the center of the garden, the focal point of the garden. It is pearly white and glimmering in the afternoon sun. </p><p>“Wonderful, isn’t it?” </p><p>“Y-Yes, my lord,” Sehun says, struggling for words. “It is.” </p><p>“Would you like to see the butterflies?” Suho asks. </p><p>Sehun turns to him, sees him grinning encouragingly. Sehun nods. </p><p>Suho hides his smile as he gently clasps his hands together, and from the bushes, the weeds, the holes in the coral, the most lovely cloud of sea butterflies float into the water above them. Sehun gasps, tears leaping to his eyes as he studies their beauty. They are ghostly white save for their sunset-orange insides, nearly completely transparent besides. Their wings are small and pointed at the ends, and they float together in a small school, whipping and whirling through the water. </p><p>“Well?” Suho smiles. “What do you think of them?” Sehun turns to face him, and there is a look of confidence streaked plainly across his face. “They are my great treasure. My great pride.” </p><p>“They are magnificent, my lord.” </p><p>“They’re not actually butterflies, of course,” Suho says, arms folded over his chest. “They’re slugs. But that doesn’t sound as pretty, does it?” </p><p>“No, my lord,” Sehun laughs. “I like butterflies better.” </p><p>They watch the butterflies float through the water, their little wings carrying them easily. It is quite easy to lose time here, Sehun finds, with the beauty above him and the beauty beside.<br/>
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</div><p>Suho does something Sehun never expected him to do. As Suho rests his head in Sehun’s lap along the bench, Sehun gently combing his fingers through Suho’s soft hair, Suho asks about Sehun’s life.</p><p>“My lord, it is not interesting,” Sehun smiles. “I would hate to bore you with aimless chatter about myself.” </p><p>Suho narrows his eyes as he stares up at Sehun. “Do you think I’m unable to silence you if I so chose?” </p><p>“No, my lord.” </p><p>“Then regale me with tales of your adolescence and your life on the wild, untamed sea,” Suho says, eyes slipping shut as Sehun scratches his nails lightly against Suho’s scalp. “Mm.” </p><p>“I’m afraid there is not much to tell,” Sehun whispers. “My life has always been quite simple. The village is small, as you know.” Suho makes a small noise of assent. “I’ve known everyone in my town since I was young. I’ve worked on the boat since I was old enough to work… my father helped me get the job. He knew the fisher who trained me.” Sehun shrugs his shoulders. “It is very simple my lord. Nothing ever changes.”  </p><p>“<i>Nothing ever changes</i>,” Suho says. “In that, you have a taste of immortality.” </p><p>“My lord?” </p><p>“Immortality is all about moments of light,” Suho whispers, and his eyes flutter open, “blazing across the darkness.” </p><p>Sehun doesn’t quite understand what Suho means, but he feels the distinct need to lean down, pressing their lips together. If that is not a flash in the darkness, he doesn’t know what is.</p><p>When he pulls back, Suho has a soft smile spread across his face. Sehun holds Suho’s cheek gently. </p><p>“Thank you, fisherboy,” Suho says. </p><p>“You’re welcome, my lord.” </p><p>He sighs, eyes slipping shut once more. </p><p>“We’re meant to be prepared for the feast in an hour’s time,” Suho says. “What’s say we see one more thing before we go?” </p><p>“Whatever you think is best, my lord,” Sehun says. </p><p>Suho opens his eyes. </p><p>“It’s very romantic,” he says.</p><p>“Then… lead the way.” </p><p>Suho leaps up, pulling Sehun away by the hand. </p><p>Before he knows it, they are running from the castle, Suho swimming through the sea with little resistance. Sehun has no idea how far they go, through forests of kelp and seaweeds, caverns of white and grey rock. The sights whip by them in a blur, but then suddenly, they arrive at a giant underwater cliff, and across the ocean, there is another great cliff. From the top of the drop-off opposite them, pouring off the edge in waves, there is a spray of light… of glorious, <i>majestic</i> light. Ribbons of orange, yellow, and violet light fall through the water. Sehun almost cannot believe his eyes… how could it be possible? </p><p>“I call this Aurora Falls,” Suho says, and he steps closer to the edge of the sea kingdom to observe the phenomenon, the waterfall of light cascading gently. “It is another of my great prides, of course.” He turns to Sehun. “Is it pleasing?” </p><p>“Very much so,” Sehun whispers. “It is like…” </p><p>“Nothing you’ve ever seen before?” Suho teases. “Yes, I know.” He stares off into the lights as they cascade from the cliff-side. “Wouldn’t it be incredible to make love here?” </p><p>Heat beams through Sehun’s body. </p><p>“M-My lord?” </p><p>“Relax,” Suho grins, catlike and sharp. “I will save my energies for after the feast… and perhaps, your next visit.” </p><p><i>Next</i>, Sehun thinks happily as Suho drags him into a passionate kiss, lit by the warm aurora. <i>What a lovely word.</i><br/>
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  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>When they return to the castle, Sehun is immediately whisked away by a team of women.</p><p>“I’ll see you at the feast,” Suho calls, and Sehun looks back over his shoulder, watching him being whisked away in the opposite direction. “Make sure to make him beautiful.” </p><p>The two women at his left and right thread their arms around his, and they pull him towards a special room with a tri-fold mirror, a vanity with a variety of rainbow-colored bottles, and a wardrobe even bigger than the one in Suho’s chamber. </p><p>He is stripped down to his underwear, and he is gently guided to a stool. For the next hour, he is patted and powdered, painted with a number of lotions and perfumes, hair brushed and coated with a sweet-smelling oil. </p><p>Then, he is dressed in the most elaborate clothes he’s ever worn before. He steps into a set of crimson colored silk pants embroidered with gold thread. One of the women ties the belt around his waist, fastening it securely so that the loose-fitting pants don’t fall. Another woman gently pulls his arms out to the sides, and he is then threaded into a short robe, the inner panels bright yellow, the outer shades of orange. A longer robe is then placed over that, a pale, luminous gold so soft to the touch Sehun thinks it alone must be worth thousands of gold coins. </p><p>The women smile at him, and he thanks them for their help before he is led to the grand hall. And then… <i>then</i> he realizes just how much he is revered just because of his proximity to Suho. </p><p>Everyone in the grand hall, everyone except for himself and Suho, are dressed in blue, but the two of them in reds, oranges, and golds… they shine like a fiery sunrise, like the break of day. He stares at Suho from the doorway, eyes watering. He’s never felt so special. </p><p>When he joins Suho at the great table, he sits at his right, his own chair just slightly smaller than Suho’s. He holds himself straighter in his seat, and once Suho raises his hand, chimes ring out, and the feast begins. </p><p>Plate after plate of food is brought forth from the kitchens, delicacies richer than gold. </p><p>There are whole fish wrapped in waterleaf and drenched in orange juice. There are large tenderloins wrapped in bacon and puffed pastry, browned with butter. There are slow-roasted ducks drizzled with plum sauce, and when Sehun inhales, he smells cinnamon and cardamom. There are candied searoots and sweet potatoes, a warm seaweed, sesame, and shrimp salad, another with spinach, pancetta, and soft-boiled eggs. There are trays and trays of desserts, too:  small chocolate rounds, fruit tarts with yellow custard, spun sugar candies, sponge cakes soaked in red fruit liquors. </p><p>Glass flagons of white wine are lined along the tables and casks of ale are lined along the wall. Neither his plate nor his glass goes empty for quite some time, and he stares at Suho, overwhelmed with affection. </p><p>“Is it pleasing?” Suho teases, and he gingerly grabs one of the chocolates, slipping it between Sehun’s lips. </p><p>Sehun bites into the chocolate, and cream bursts across his tongue. He moans softly as he swallows. </p><p>“Very much so,” Sehun says, but the music of the harps nearly drowns him out. </p><p>They eat until they’re full, drinking until their heads are dizzy. </p><p>They retire to Suho’s chambers after the lovely feast, and they come together in the darkness. </p><p>Sehun pushes him to the bed, kisses him with gratitude, and he makes love to him with all the passion of the seas, pushing and pulling their bodies together like the tides. They come together, again and again, and Suho cries Sehun’s name like a toast, sparkling and splendid. </p><p>After so much noise, the silence is welcome. Sehun opens his arms to take Suho in his embrace, and they rest together against the rich purple sheets. Sehun closes his eyes and attempts to convince himself that he isn’t dreaming. It’s just that everything is so perfect… it <i>must</i> be a dream. </p><p>“You are my lover, you know,” Suho says. “My greatest pride.” </p><p>Sehun shuts his eyes tighter, so tight he sees constellations behind them. </p><p>“Thank you, my lord.” </p><p>“Do not thank me,” Suho whispers. “Love me until the end of time itself.” </p><p>“I will,” Sehun promises. </p><p>There is more quiet, the soft and gentle kind, falling like tendrils across their skin. Sehun drags his fingers along the cap of Suho’s shoulder, tracing stars along him. One night, he said. Just one. </p><p><i>Enjoy it while you can.</i> </p><p>“Hold me until the setting of the sun,” Suho whispers. “Hold me tightly, and don’t let me go.” </p><p>“As you say,” Sehun whispers, and his arms go tighter around Suho, holding him as close as two can be.<br/>
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</div><p>They watch the sun fall through the window, and Sehun gently combs his fingers through Suho’s hair. It is a calming moment, the first time he’s felt like he could ever truly settle in Suho’s kingdom. If he stayed, this could be his life. He could live luxuriously, he could be <i>kept</i>.</p><p>Why does he reject Suho? Why does he push back? </p><p>It is because of work, Sehun thinks. How could he earn this life? No amount of effort, strength, or work could ever be enough. </p><p>“The time is coming,” Suho whispers. “Must you go, truly?” </p><p>“You know that I must.” </p><p>“I know that you <i>think</i> you must,” Suho says, and he presses a kiss to Sehun’s chest. “Though I know not why.” </p><p>“My lord—” </p><p>“I’ll ask just once more,” Suho says, and he raises himself up to sit next to Sehun. The sheets pool around his small waist, and Sehun lets his eyes graze over the soft, smooth skin. He flicks his eyes up, and Suho’s eyes go hot. “Stay with me.” </p><p>“My lord…” </p><p>“The next word you utter will be <i>yes</i>,” Suho says with a playful smile. “You don’t want to <i>anger</i> me, do you?” </p><p>“Never, my lord.” </p><p>“That is not a yes,” Suho teases. </p><p>“You know that I cannot stay,” Sehun whispers, tears welling his eyes. “Please. My lord, I… I am so sorry.” </p><p>Suho huffs, looking away as if the sight of Sehun perturbs him. </p><p>“I do not need your <i>apologies</i>, I need your <i>constant presence</i>.” </p><p>“And yet, it’s the one thing I must deny you.” </p><p>Suho looks deeply into Sehun’s eyes, just as complex and complicated as always. Sehun wishes that for just one moment he could step into Suho’s mind, his heart… understand what he’s feeling. What he’s thinking. </p><p>His heart feels fluttery as Suho stares into him, and he holds himself especially still all throughout. Just as sudden as the moment began, however, it ends, and Suho lowers himself back down, head resting on Sehun’s shoulder. </p><p>Sehun breathes out slowly, the sound hissing like steam. </p><p>“Can I confide in you?” Suho asks, letting his fingers tease along Sehun’s chest. </p><p>“Yes, my lord,” Sehun whispers. “Of course.” </p><p>“Even if it angers you?” </p><p><i>What could you possibly say that would anger me? You speak with sugar upon your lips. Everything you say sounds sweet.</i> “Yes. Of course.” </p><p>“You were a bet,” Suho whispers back, and he turns his head to look Sehun in the eye. “A bet that I’ve lost time and time again.” </p><p>Sehun’s heart sinks to his feet as he lies there in Suho’s embrace. He resists the urge to overreact, to let tears spring forth from his eyes. He does not yet know Suho’s true meaning. He does not yet know the truth. </p><p>“M-My lord, what do you mean?” </p><p>“You know Baekhyun, of course, Chanyeol and the rest,” Suho whispers, and he presses another soft, sweet kiss to Sehun’s pectoral. </p><p>“Y-Yes, I’ve prayed to Baekhyun before,” Sehun says quietly. </p><p>A flare of heat rages in Suho’s eyes like a summer storm, and Sehun sucks in a breath. </p><p>“Have you?” </p><p>“Only on occasion,” Sehun whispers, lowering his eyes. “Never since…” </p><p>“Never since <i>me</i>,” Suho says confidently, and he pats his hand possessively over Sehun’s abdomen. “Yes, I understand.” He uses the tip of his finger to trace a circle around Sehun’s navel, lazy swirls along Sehun’s stomach. “Regardless of all that, they offered me a challenge.”</p><p>“A challenge of what sort?” Sehun asks. </p><p>“They wanted me to possess you,” Suho whispers. </p><p>
  <i>Why me?</i>
</p><p>"What?" </p><p>“In the span of seven days together, I was to make you fall hopelessly in love with me.” </p><p><i>Seven days</i>, Sehun thinks. <i>It’s been so much longer than that since I met you.</i> </p><p>“I’m very clever, you see,” Suho smiles. “I knew that my absence would make you long for me. I knew that you would crave another touch. And I thought that, with a taste of luxury, I would ensnare you for good.” </p><p><i>I am ensnared by you, my lord</i>, Sehun thinks. <i>Mind, body, and soul.</i></p><p>“M-My lord, seven da—”</p><p>“But you deny me. Over and over again, you deny me,” Suho whispers. “So now, I am forced to admit my defeat, confident that I’ve done all I can do.” He raises himself up onto his knees, staring down at Sehun. “For I have realized something now that precludes me from continuing in the wager. Do you know what that is, fisherboy?” </p><p>“Y-You would rather have another?” Sehun asks. </p><p>“You are as stupid as you are beautiful,” Suho smiles. “In my frivolous attempts, all throughout the silly game I was playing on my own… instead of catching you, it seems that <i>you</i> have caught <i>me</i>.” </p><p>Sehun’s heart leaps into his mouth, and when he speaks, he’s afraid the words will pour out red and bloody. </p><p>“My lord?” </p><p>“I am in love with you, boy. Madly in love,” Suho whispers, and it is the sweetest sound in the whole world, more beautiful than any song. “I am so in love with you that I can think of nothing else besides you. Each time you deny me, it makes me crave you more.” He swings his leg over Sehun’s body, straddling him. Sehun draws a sharp breath, hands coming to hold Suho by the hips. “I have never felt the way you make me feel, not in my life, long as it’s been.” He leans down until they are chest to chest. “How does that make you feel?” </p><p>He takes Sehun’s face in his hands, thumb slipping against Sehun’s cheek. </p><p>“Immortal,” Sehun whispers. </p><p>Suho does not hesitate as he takes Sehun in a kiss, demanding but full of illustrious passion. Sehun loses himself in the embrace, in the words. <i>Love</i>, he thinks. <i>Could it be true?</i> </p><p>Suho kisses him ravenously, like he <i>hungers</i> for him, and it feels like the dangerous sort of love, the kind you could cut yourself on. The type to spill blood. He doesn’t know love, has never known it, but that kind… could it ever be the honest, gentle sort? </p><p>Staring up at Suho, the rapidity of his breath making it hard to focus on anything besides the red kiss at his lips… Sehun doubts it. He doubts he could ever have an honest, gentle life with a god. They are too different. Suho doesn’t know anything about that kind of love. </p><p>He knows about loving and leaving. He knows about making people fall until they are so desperate they’d do anything for him. Is that Sehun’s fate? To be loved and then left? To fall so hard under the wave that he can’t even see the sun anymore? </p><p>“You cannot love me,” Sehun says softly. </p><p>Suho widens his eyes like Sehun has said something he didn’t expect. </p><p>“No? I <i>cannot</i>?” </p><p>“I only meant that I am so inadequate, so beneath you and—” </p><p>“Enough,” Suho says, “or I’ll be forced to take you again and again.” He lords himself over Sehun, just as terrible and lovely as always. “Tell me what you <i>really</i> mean, boy.” </p><p>“Y-You do not know me, my lord,” Sehun whispers. “I am not so good. I am not so… so pure as you might think. I am capable of much evil.” </p><p>“What makes you think that doesn’t please me?” </p><p>“W-What?” </p><p>His eyes narrow as he slowly closes the gap between them, lips sticky and sweet with saliva. Sehun sips from his mouth, swallowing hard. </p><p>“Each facet of you pleases me,” Suho says softly. “Your calm and your rage, your love and your hate… all of it is satisfying. All of it lovely.” He presses another kiss to Sehun’s cheek. “I know much of you, young lover, more than you know.” </p><p><i>Do you even know my family name,</i> Sehun thinks. <i>Will you leave me as soon as I belong to you?</i> </p><p>“I am mortal,” Sehun whispers. “I will grow old and I will die, and it will feel like a <i>blink</i> to you.” </p><p>Suho sighs. “I much prefer our previous conversation.” </p><p>“Is it not true, my lord?” </p><p>“Of course it is,” Suho says. “But it’s not very romantic, so I don’t highlight the differences between us often.” He gets up from the bed, and as he walks to his closet, Sehun watches the spend on his legs disappear into thin air, body freshly washed, smelling sweetly of orange and vanilla. “Mortals get… very funny when you bring up fate. <i>Death.</i>” </p><p>Sehun stares at him as he pulls on a robe, fastening it around his waist tightly, angrily. </p><p>“Truthfully,” Suho continues, “I do not care for the topic either.” He wanders back to the bed, looking down at Sehun. “You’re much too pretty to grow old and wrinkled. Seems a terrible waste.” </p><p>Sehun has the idea then. He’s heard… he’s heard rumors once. A mortal joining the gods on their mount. His heart positively glows just at the thought. </p><p>“W-What if there was a way… a way to keep me forever?” </p><p>Suho reaches down, petting a hand over Sehun’s face. “Oh, my darling lover,” he says, and Sehun’s flesh goes warm with pleasure. “You shouldn’t get your hopes up.” </p><p>“My lord, I—” </p><p>“A mortal… joining our ranks,” Suho says, shaking his head. “It has only happened once before. It is not likely to happen again.” He looks up and down Sehun’s body. “Not without a <i>considerable</i> task.” </p><p>“I am willing,” Sehun whispers. </p><p>“You do not realize what you agree to,” Suho says. </p><p>“I am willing.” </p><p>Suho looks at him stiffly. “A conversation for another day.” </p><p>Sehun infers his meaning. <i>No more of this.</i> </p><p>“Yes, my lord,” Sehun says. </p><p>Suho looks out the window as if he’s counting down second by second. </p><p>“I should take you home,” Suho whispers, “as previously agreed upon.” </p><p>“B-But…” </p><p>“Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind,” Suho smiles wryly. “After I’ve given up on my bet and confessed to you? You wound me, lover of mine.”</p><p>The affection jolts through Sehun like lightning, and he sits up straighter.   </p><p>“No, my lord, I only… well, how will I see you?” Sehun asks. </p><p>Suho studies him, blushing cheeks. Sehun can’t help himself, letting his gaze slip down Suho’s pretty body. Even through the robe, the shape of him is perfect. He looks to the curve of Suho’s ass, imagines his own spend leaking out from between Suho’s legs. Maybe... maybe <i>tasting</i> it straight from Suho.  </p><p>“Perverse,” Suho whispers, and Sehun’s eyes jump back to Suho’s. Suho laughs lightly. “Worry not, young lover. I will hear you if you call out for me. And each time there is a rainstorm…” </p><p>“I will go to you, my lord,” Sehun says earnestly. “I will run to you with such speed that even the birds will envy me, yearning to trade their flight.”</p><p>Suho smiles as he walks back across the room, a charming little tilt in his hips, left to right, right to left. He leans down to press a chaste kiss to Sehun’s lips. </p><p>“Oh, how I <i>love</i> you,” Suho moans, and he licks along Sehun’s lips. “What do you say?” He steps back, and Sehun watches as he slips a hand between his legs, parting the silk of his robe. “Once more before I return you to your keepers?” </p><p>Sehun bites his lip before he pulls Suho by the wrist to the bed, Suho’s giggles echoing through the chambers, through the kingdom.<br/>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hello my friends! i hope this update finds you safe, happy, and healthy. i am currently sitting by an open window. it is raining gently. very peaceful. ever feel the way a dog looks when they have their eyes closed??? i am feeling that in this moment. i hope you feel that way too (or can feel that way soon!). anyway this fic is weird sorry abt that klasjdkjl i truly am just throwing handfuls of spaghetti at various walls....not even to meaninglessly check the doneness,,,, just like, as a way to create weird art. i am the jackson pollock of pasta. </p><p>okay. bye bye </p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/okamiwind">my twitter</a> | <a href="https://curiouscat.me/okamiwind">my curiouscat</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. tension</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Suho holds Sehun’s hands, and tears well in his eyes. He doesn’t want to let go… not after such a beautiful night. </p><p>“I thought it might bother you more,” Suho whispers, and he pulls down until their bodies are much, much closer together, their clasped hands tangled between them. </p><p>“Not so, my lord,” Sehun says, and the kiss whispers between them, just the faintest hint of touch. “It is an honor.” </p><p>“An honor,” Suho whispers, and he drops Sehun’s hands, letting his own skim up Sehun’s body until he is holding Sehun by the cheeks. “Silly boy.” </p><p>“What is silly about it?” </p><p>“It is an <i>honor</i> to be a plaything of the gods?” Suho asks, and he turns Sehun’s face to the left, pressing a kiss to his right cheek. “It’s an <i>honor</i> to be manipulated? Taken? Held? Kept?” He gingerly pushes Sehun back, dotting a kiss to Sehun’s left cheek. He pulls Sehun down, looking into his eyes. “You are sweet. Foolish.” </p><p><i>And yet here you are,</i> Sehun thinks, <i>escorting me home.</i> </p><p>“You will truly come whenever I call, my lord?” </p><p>“I can assure you that I simply won’t be able to resist,” Suho smiles. “You are… completely unavoidable. No matter how hard I might try, I think… I think I was meant to fall to your wiles.” </p><p><i>How many times have you said those very words to someone besides me? How many boys have stood where I stand? How many have died dreaming of holding you in their arms just once more?</i> </p><p>“I think you were,” Sehun says. “Just as I was meant to fall to yours.” </p><p>Suho grins at him, kisses him sweetly. “You are so charming, aren’t you?” </p><p>“I am learning from a master,” Sehun whispers. </p><p>Suho’s grin fades into a look of lust, and Sehun knows that look well now. They embrace in the darkness before the dawn, and when Suho steps away, their hands tied together, Sehun thinks that it might be the last time he is touched for a while. </p><p><i>What if I called on you tomorrow? Would you come then? Would you make time for me?</i> He wonders as he stares into Suho’s beautiful eyes, the light of the moon shining against him. </p><p>“I yearn for you even in your presence,” Suho says quietly, untangling his fingers from Sehun’s. “Even before you, my longing is quenchless. If that is not true desire, true <i>love</i>, then what is?” </p><p>“I confess, I do not know,” Sehun whispers. </p><p>“Then I suppose it must be true.” </p><p>“It must.” </p><p>Suho lets go of Sehun’s hands, and between one blink and another, Suho becomes someone else entirely. He is taller, homely, wrapped in rough cotton robes of a drab green. His hair is light, eyes light. Still, inside him… there is undeniable beauty. Something lovely beaming within him. </p><p>“Until I see you again,” Suho says, his voice different and strange. “And if I might make a request of you, fisherboy?” </p><p>His heart glows. </p><p>“Yes, my lord?” </p><p>“Do not change,” Suho says, and he holds his hand up in the air as if he is trying to capture Sehun within his grasp. “Stay exactly as you are in this moment.” </p><p>“I will do my best, my lord.” </p><p>“Do better than your best,” Suho says, a little smile painted across his strange mouth. “Obey.” </p><p>Sehun watches as he turns back to the water. The vision of him walking through the brightening morning, the town coming awake as the sun brightens the sky in pink and orange… Sehun thinks it might never leave him. Suho walks into the ocean, and Sehun walks into his home, the door shutting behind him. </p><p>He tries to be quiet as he goes to his bed, but the sound of his sandals slipping off on the stone floor wakes his brother. He slips out of his clothes as his brother stirs, brushing a hand against his face. </p><p>“Brother,” he says. “Are you well? How was your trip?” </p><p>“Magnificent,” Sehun whispers back.<br/>
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</div><p>He sleeps for only a few hours before he meets his captain on the docks. Exhaustion seeps through his bones as he goes to work, hauling equipment and nets with weary bones.</p><p>“You are slow,” the boat captain says, looking Sehun up and down. “What’s wrong with you?” </p><p>“I didn’t sleep well,” Sehun says. </p><p>“You’re no use to me when you’re slow,” he smiles. “Pick it up, won’t you?” </p><p>Sehun breathes in and out in an attempt to do exactly that. The boat sets sail just as the sun rises and stretches high above them. It puts sweat on the back of his neck, and he closes his eyes, imagines Suho behind him, tickling him with deft fingertips. </p><p>He stares out over the water as they work, letting the waves remind him of where he’s been. Where he might go again someday. He daydreams about spending the night in Suho’s arms again. How soon is too soon, he wonders. Could he call on Suho that very evening? The day passes slowly, excruciatingly slowly, and he has to shake his head, dust from his ears as he tries to focus, focus on the task at hand. </p><p>They dock just after the sun’s set, and his captain caps him on the shoulder.</p><p>“You’re somewhere else,” the captain says with a wry little smile. “Figure it out. You’re not worth much like this.”</p><p>He jests, and still, it puts fear in the pit of his stomach. </p><p>“I will,” Sehun promises. “I swear it.” </p><p>“By all the gods?” </p><p>“Yes,” Sehun says, staring at the stormy sky. “All of them.”<br/>
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</div><p>He works each day with that promise in his mind. He ignores the thought of Suho, desperate to remember his place. He could have stayed if he truly wanted, but this… his <i>family</i>. He knows what is more important. He is where he belongs. He must dedicate himself completely to where he is needed.</p><p>Each night, he stares at the sky. Each night, Sehun thinks that it might storm. It doesn’t. He doesn’t know what he expected. </p><p>Perhaps he was right all along. Perhaps Suho knew exactly what to say to Sehun to twist him up madly. Perhaps he did exactly as he needed to. </p><p>Sehun only wishes that it didn’t work quite as well as it did.<br/>
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  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>The weeks pass, and Sehun does not want to be the one to buckle first. It is a silent battle between them, one that is surely unnecessary and petty, but Sehun wants to test him. Wants to see just how deeply Suho’s fallen for him.</p><p>He waits, day in and day out. The skies never rain. The days are clear and blue, the nights are full of stars and darkness. In some way, it feels natural. He sits at the edge of the river, thinking about Suho’s mouth along his neck, the decadence of the palace, the food at the feast. Nothing tastes as good anymore. Nothing even comes close. </p><p>He cannot return to this simple life, he thinks, not now. Not when he’s tasted true sweetness. Everything else, even the purest, most amber gold honey… it is naught but ash inside his mouth.<br/>
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  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>His father takes the air for the first time in a great long while, and Sehun feels a weight lift from his heart. He watches his father go from the window, staring out, gaze chasing him off. He said he would walk to the water’s edge and return. Sehun puts his chin in his hand, eyes slipping shut as he thinks of Suho, the way his eyes lingered on Sehun before he turned to leave.</p><p>“Now that he’s gone,” his brother says, and Sehun turns to look at him where he rests on his bed, “would you like to talk?” </p><p>“Talk?” Sehun asks. “About what?” </p><p>“About what’s been happening with you this last fortnight or so,” his brother says, and he leans up on his elbow. “Ever since your trip, you’ve been… quite grey.” </p><p>Sehun laughs, turning back towards the window. “Thank you.” </p><p>“I mean it truthfully,” his brother says. “I worry over you.” </p><p>“You don’t need to worry over me.” </p><p>“And yet, I cannot help it.” </p><p>“Try,” Sehun says. “There is nothing wrong.” </p><p>“I have known you since you were born,” his brother says. “I have spent nearly every night of my life in your presence. I have seen you grow from boy to man, and you think I wouldn’t know when you are upset? In turmoil? Think again, I beg you.” </p><p>Sehun looks back to him, sees the look in his eyes. </p><p>“It is nothing,” Sehun says calmly. </p><p>“It’s something,” his brother says. “Tell me. Please.” </p><p>Sehun turns to stare out the window. He stretches the quiet as long as it will go without snapping into shards, and he blinks longly as he gathers his courage. </p><p>“I had the opportunity to leave this place,” Sehun says wistfully. “Go someplace lovely. Rich.” </p><p>“And you didn’t take it?” his brother laughs. </p><p>“No, of course I didn’t.” He looks around their tiny home. “What would become of you?”</p><p>“I am a man, aren’t I? I can take care of my own.” </p><p>“Just as I’m meant to take care of mine,” Sehun says. </p><p>“Sehun,” his brother says, and he looks him over. “I’ve kept a secret from you.” </p><p>“Oh?” He raises his brow. “Is it a terrible, shameful one?” </p><p>“No, I only… I wanted to make sure it would come to fruition before I confessed it to you,” his brother says, and he sits up, twisting his hands in front of him. “I didn’t want to ruin the chance by speaking of it too soon.” </p><p>“What is it?” Sehun asks. “I need to know.” </p><p>“I’ve met a girl,” his brother says, “and I intend to share bread with her.” </p><p>Sehun’s heart does something funny in his chest, something like falling, something like <i>flying</i>. </p><p>“B-Bread? You mean you will be <i>married</i>?” </p><p>He shrugs with a delighted smile on his face. “She is content with a simple life, I suppose.” </p><p>“Is she pretty?” Sehun asks. </p><p>“Is that all there is to know of her?” his brother laughs. </p><p>“I-Is she kind?” </p><p>“Kind and very fair,” his brother nods. </p><p>Sehun looks around the house. It would be too small for four. </p><p><i>Oh</i>, Sehun thinks, stomach twisting with dread. <i>He’s leaving.</i> </p><p>“You look less happy than I imagined,” his brother smiles. “Won’t you offer me congratulations?” </p><p>“Congratulations, brother,” Sehun says, and he looks down to the floor. “I will admit that it will feel empty without your presence.” </p><p>“Who said I was leaving?” </p><p>Sehun looks up, shocked, and his brother raises his brows. </p><p>“She’ll move within the moon,” his brother says, and his face is soft. “Sehun… if you have the chance to leave, you should take it. If you are being pulled somewhere, somewhere better… then you should let fate guide you.”</p><p><i>Is his name Fate</i>, he wonders with a smile, turning it towards the sea. <i>No, of course not. His name is Suho.</i><br/>
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  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>He does not wait around any longer. There is no time for silly games, petty contests to see who could last longer without the other. Sehun is ready to admit defeat if it meant that he could spend the rest of his life with Suho.</p><p>He goes to the temple with tears in his eyes, almost like the shackles have been torn from him. He cares so deeply for his family, for his father and his brother, and knowing that he could go peacefully, perhaps send money back for them from the road… the possibility is too addictive. Too sweet. </p><p>He goes that very night to the temple, and he prays under the statue’s watchful eyes, knees on the cold marble. He bows before his god, eyes slipping shut. </p><p>“My lord,” Sehun whispers, “my lover. Come to me tomorrow. I need to see you. I need to touch you and hold you in my arms.” </p><p>He does not linger in the temple, dusts his knees off before he goes home for the evening. He sleeps, and his head is full, the glittering ocean of the sky before him.<br/>
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  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>He wakes to the strongest storm he can remember. He attempts to bite back the smile, but he can’t. All activity in the little town ceased, all work stopped, he has plenty of time to prepare, plenty of time to turn his speech over in his head.</p><p>By the time the night falls, the rains are like walls. </p><p>“Are you sure you must go?” his father asks. “The storm… it’s dangerous at such a time.” </p><p>“I’m all right,” Sehun promises, and he gestures to his brother. “Let him regale you with stories of his love, his new wife.” </p><p>His father’s mouth falls open, and Sehun smiles as he walks out of the door. </p><p>The night is pleasant, made all the more pleasant with the cracks of lightning, bringing yellow light to the darkness. He lets the rain soak his clothes, cold along his skin, and he cherishes the chill. It is akin to the feeling of life. </p><p>He makes the journey, heart beating hard, determined. He knows exactly where he’s going. He knows exactly how he’s going to begin anew. </p><p>Halfway through his trip, though, climbing the hill, he notices a hooded figure in the middle of the road. It is a shadow, drenched in the evening. Sehun slows upon his approach, hoping to see the figure move, but it doesn’t move even a fraction. It stays planted in the earth like it’s rooted there. Sehun slows even further, and he resists the urge to call out to the stranger, something foolish like <i>Hello there, what do you want from me?</i> </p><p>This is no normal person, Sehun knows. They are standing in the middle of a storm. This is someone who intended to meet him. Perhaps… Suho came to meet him? </p><p>Sehun gets close, and the stranger pulls back his hood. </p><p>His hair is pitch black, black as night, but his eyes are amber and gold, glimmering like molten metal. His skin is unblemished, a pleasant blush at his full cheeks. He is handsome, certainly. Pretty, even. Sehun stares at him without much hope to do anything besides. </p><p>“Hello,” the stranger before him says. </p><p>“H-Hello,” Sehun says. “I-Is there something you need, sir?” </p><p>“No,” he says, and he looks Sehun up and down. “Well, I suppose you could turn around to let me get a look at you from the back, if you’re offering.” </p><p>Sehun takes a small step back. “I’m sorry?” </p><p>The man doesn’t say anything, just raises his brows as he takes his own step back, folding his arms over his chest like he’s some… some <i>lord</i>. </p><p>“Do you know who I am?” the man says, a lovely, coy grin painted across him. </p><p>“I-I confess, I do not know,” Sehun says, but he bows his head to signal his respect. </p><p>“I’m a friend of a friend,” the man says, and he looks Sehun up and down. “I’m sure you could guess.” </p><p>He is less sure now, studying the man’s face. He is beautiful, but he sees something different in him that he doesn’t see in Suho. </p><p>“I’m sure that I could not, sir,” Sehun says. “A-And I’m afraid that I’ve no time for guessing games, I’m needed elsewhere.” </p><p>Quickly, the man sticks his hand out, the strike of a rattlesnake, and he holds Sehun’s wrist in his grasp. Sehun looks down at the touch, confused by the way his skin tingles, and he looks back up into the man’s eyes. </p><p><i>Gold, amber. Rays of light stretching across the horizon line.</i> </p><p>“O-Oh,” Sehun says stupidly. </p><p>“Good to meet you,” he says, his lips red like the petals of a rose. “Where are you off to, hm? So late in the evening?” </p><p>“M—O Lord of Light, Sun and Stars,” Sehun says, and he bows his head reverently, “I-I’m sorry.” </p><p>“Whatever are you sorry for?” Baekhyun says, and he removes the space between them, thumb under Sehun’s chin to raise him up. “Oh, you’d make a fine sacred one, wouldn’t you?” </p><p>The words shock a surprised sound from Sehun’s mouth, one that makes Baekhyun’s brows raise. </p><p>“Have I said something funny?” Baekhyun asks tersely. </p><p>“I-I’m sorry for my insolence,” Sehun says. “It’s only—” </p><p>“What is it?” the god of light asks impatiently, and he turns Sehun’s face side to side by the chin. Sehun looks to the line of the ocean off in the distance.“Hm?” </p><p>“I’ve already been—I’ve already been made…” </p><p>“Unclean,” Baekhyun says. </p><p>“Y-Yes, my lord.” He closes his eyes. “I’m sorry, my lord.” </p><p>Baekhyun laughs smally, and he turns Sehun’s gaze to him. He has a beautiful smile, and Sehun nearly gets lost in it as Baekhyun pulls him down so far that he can taste Baekhyun’s breath. </p><p>“You think I don’t know that?” Baekhyun says. “You think I’m not well aware of your time in the sea? You still stink of saltwater.” Baekhyun leans in, lips nearly brushing against Sehun’s. “And still—” </p><p>“M-My lord?” </p><p>Baekhyun presses a small, chaste kiss to Sehun’s lips, and Sehun makes a soft, wounded sound. Baekhyun pulls back, seemingly pleased as he pats Sehun’s cheek with an open palm. </p><p>“You are tempting, aren’t you?” </p><p>“I’m afraid I don’t know,” Sehun says. </p><p>“I do,” Baekhyun tells him. “When he told us all that he had met the loveliest mortal man that ever walked the sands, I was shocked.” He looks Sehun over. “Now, I understand his judgement. You are very fine.” </p><p>“T-Thank you, my lord.” </p><p>Baekhyun doesn’t say anything, only gives him a smile. He looks up to the sky, burning with barely restrained rage. </p><p>“Is this how he calls upon you?” </p><p>“It is,” Sehun says. </p><p>“And do you come every time he rains?” </p><p>Sehun bites his lip. “I do.” </p><p>Baekhyun scoffs. “And he says he’s <i>lost</i> the wager.” </p><p>The implication is clear. <i>He has ensnared you.</i> </p><p><i>Yes</i>, Sehun thinks. <i>I believe you’re right.</i> </p><p>“Piece of advice for you?” Baekhyun asks, cocking a brow. “Take every bit of luxury that he gives you.” He smiles, devastatingly handsome. “You never know when the well will run dry.” </p><p>Sehun’s throat tightens as his stomach churns. </p><p>He bows. “Thank you, my lord.” </p><p>Baekhyun begins to walk away, and Sehun watches him go for a couple seconds. Then, all of a sudden, he disappears in a flash of light and Sehun is left staring at nothing. </p><p>He has very little time to collect his thoughts. The skies are open around him, and suddenly, he feels the water like it is brand new. He turns back to the temple, eyeing the white marble like a beacon, drawing him home. The drops of water fall off his lashes like tears. He runs along the dirt road, feet slick with mud as the rains fall. </p><p>He crashes into the temple, and he finds Suho standing there, arms folded across his chest. He looks positively immature, his immortality falling away as he stands there like a child whose favorite toy has been withheld. </p><p>Sehun loves him. Loves him more than he thought he could ever love anyone. </p><p>“You’re late,” Suho says. </p><p>“I… I ran into someone along the way,” Sehun says, and he goes to Suho, taking him in his arms with haste. “I’m sorry, my lord.” </p><p>“Who was it, so late at night?” Suho asks, and he holds Sehun by the nape of the neck, gently guiding Sehun to kiss his throat. </p><p>“I-It was the god of light,” Sehun confesses, and he stills his lips, hands firm on the small of Suho’s back. “I tried to come as quickly as I could.” </p><p>Sehun is not scared, of course, not worried about Suho’s reaction, but he does monitor it closely. Suho is still in his arms, wooden and unbending. Sehun breathes in, breathes out against him. </p><p>“What was the nature of your conversation?” Suho asks quietly. </p><p>“H—I believe he was teasing me, my lord.” </p><p>“Teasing you,” Suho says flatly. “And what makes you think he was <i>teasing</i> you?” </p><p>“He made it quite clear that he was aware of our… relations,” Sehun says tightly. </p><p>“Our relations,” Suho says. “Certainly.” He is quiet for another beat, and then, “Did he offend you?” </p><p>“No, my lord.” </p><p>“Made no threats against you?” </p><p>“No, my lord,” Sehun answers. </p><p>Suho huffs out against Sehun’s shoulder. “Well, all right then.” </p><p>“All right?” </p><p>“Yes, I suppose I can’t start a war over nothing,” Suho says. </p><p><i>Start a war?</i>, Sehun thinks. </p><p>“Start a war?” he asks. </p><p>“Of course,” Suho says, and he peels down the cloth at Sehun’s shoulder, bearing his breast to the open air. “If he touched you, even a hair, I would bring the heavens down upon him. I would extinguish him forever.” </p><p>Sehun’s eyes widen as he realizes how serious Suho’s words are, how <i>truly</i> he means them. Is he eager to fight, or is it just that Sehun is precious to him? Well and truly precious to him? </p><p>“Do you love me?” Sehun asks. </p><p>“I’ve told you so many times now,” Suho whispers, “and still you ask.” </p><p>“It’s so hard for me to believe,” Sehun says. </p><p>Suho pulls Sehun back by the ends of his hair, and Sehun looks down the bridge of his nose as he stares into Suho’s storming eyes. </p><p>“Because you lack faith,” Suho says, the line of his mouth tight. “Because you do not trust in me.” </p><p>“I trust in you.” </p><p>“Lie on the floor,” Suho orders, and he drops Sehun’s strands from his grip. “Now.” </p><p>Sehun acts on the order, feeling vaguely as though he is being punished. The marble is cool under him even through the fabric of his tunic. He watches there from the floor as Suho peels himself from his clothes, letting the robe fall to the floor like a wave of white water. Sex pours from him, and Sehun is shamed by the way his erection tents his clothing so easily. </p><p>“Silly boy,” Suho teases. “So foolish.” </p><p>“Yes, my lord.” </p><p>“Easy to stir,” Suho says, and he walks forward, nudging Sehun’s cock with the tip of his toe. “Easy for me.” </p><p>“Yes, my lord.” </p><p>“Would you agree to anything I said?” Suho asks.</p><p>Sehun smiles. “Yes, my lord.” </p><p>“Perhaps you aren’t as foolish as I say,” Suho says. He steps over Sehun, and Sehun’s eyes go to the fullness of his cock, the slick dripping down his thighs. “Hasn’t it been so long?” </p><p>“Yes, my lord.” </p><p>“And you want me?” </p><p>“More than anything, I must confess.” </p><p>“Then who am I to deny you?” Suho smiles, and he kneels, soft skin brushing against Sehun’s everywhere. </p><p>Sehun slips into Suho easily, almost like they were made for each other. He breathes out harshly, overwhelmed and overcome with affection. Suho raises himself up on his knees before he even bottoms out, a gentle little tease, and Sehun bites his lip to stop himself from calling out Suho’s name. </p><p>“There has never been another like you,” Suho whispers, and Sehun looks up to the long, tall line of him, eyes slipping over the curves of his body. “You are singular excellence. You are the exception to every rule.” </p><p>Sehun screws his eyes shut as Suho lowers himself onto Sehun once more, this time taking him in all the way. The heat, it burns within his stomach and his chest, clawing through his throat. </p><p>Suho takes him in a kiss, and Sehun holds him by the back of the neck, afraid to let him go. He tastes the sweet salt of the sea, and he thinks of Baekhyun’s words. <i>No, this well is endless,</i> he tells himself. <i>I will always have this.</i> </p><p>He licks into Suho’s mouth, swallows each moan and whimper like he could drink the ocean dry. Each kiss feels like it is the beginning, like the end, like the twisting chasm of desire could stretch on forever if he had more pride. </p><p>Sehun will never be too proud to call. Never again. </p><p><i>From this moment</i>, he thinks, <i>everything changes. Everything must change.</i> </p><p>Suho takes exactly what he wants, and Sehun mourns the feeling of their chests pressed up against each other once it’s lost. He grasps for control, love and lust grappling inside him as Suho stares down at Sehun with wanton desire. </p><p>He groans, fingers tight on Suho’s hips, and the swelling of lust under his skin is like none other before it. It is undeniable, the way <i>love</i> affects them, the way it spreads like silk along their skin. Everything is better, everything is lovelier because of it, and his mouth falls open on another moan before he tries like hell to quiet it. His teeth sink into his lip and his eyes screw shut, but Suho folds himself down once more, holding Sehun by the cheeks, kissing him hard. </p><p>He can’t breathe, he is drowning in Suho’s love, he is overwhelmed by the ocean before him, overtop of him, swallowing him up. He sinks under, eyes heavy as Suho pushes himself up straight, hands on Sehun’s pectorals as he rides Sehun’s cock in smooth movements. </p><p>“I’ve missed you so,” Suho whispers. “I’ve missed the feeling of you all around me. I’ve missed the song of your voice.” </p><p>Sehun curls his toes in a fervent attempt to hold himself back, the edge of his pleasure rapidly approaching. </p><p>If this is drowning, then <i>by all the gods</i>, he promises to live on in death. </p><p>The orgasm that takes him is strong, the sizzling, boiling waves of pleasure that wash over him. He spends inside Suho’s body, another tie that binds, mouth open as the rapture flows forth. Suho’s palms come to rest on Sehun’s heaving chest, and he spills out over Sehun’s stomach, white like the cresting tides. It is a deeply satisfying feeling, and as Suho crushes him in an exhausted embrace, they battle for breath as they kiss. </p><p><i>Their marital bed might as well be the marble floor of the place meant to worship him</i>, Sehun thinks, and they kiss, stretching the stormy night thin. When Suho falls to his side, Sehun covers the soft thump of his heartbeat with his hand as he stares at the god at his right. </p><p>“You called,” Suho says happily. “I waited.” </p><p>Sehun’s stomach turns over with warmth. “Did you?” </p><p>“Of course,” Suho says. “I’ve thought of little besides you since you left my arms.” </p><p>Sehun shuts his eyes, luxuriates in the words. <i>He can’t know love</i>, he reminds himself. <i>He doesn't love you the way you love him back. He loves you the way a person might love a pet.</i> </p><p>“I called you for a reason,” Sehun says, mouth dry. </p><p>“Not for this?” Suho asks playfully, fingertips dancing over Sehun’s nipple, drawing it back to hardness. </p><p>“N-No,” Sehun says, and he moves to tangle their fingers together. “My brother has found a wife.” </p><p>Suho stares at him blankly for several seconds before saying, “Send him my regards. Blessings upon him and his wife.” </p><p>“Thank you,” Sehun says. “She’ll move in. She’ll help my brother care for my father.” </p><p>Suho’s brows raise. “What a fine woman.” </p><p>“Yes, I think she must be,” Sehun says. </p><p>“Do you share this information with any particular ulterior motive?” Suho smiles. “Perhaps to beg to come live with me in my palace.” </p><p>“No,” Sehun says. “B-But I think I might seek other means of joining you.” </p><p>Suho huffs. “Such as?” </p><p>It is the moment he’s looking for, but it flies away from him too easily. </p><p>“I don’t know,” Sehun whispers in cowardice. </p><p>Suho looks away, staring at the storm raging outside. They are together amid that chaos, a small beacon of calm, of peace. Sehun wants this forever. Wants the feeling that Suho gives him to last. </p><p>“May I tell you a secret?” Suho asks softly.  </p><p>Sehun tangles his fingers in Suho’s hair. “Always, my lord.” </p><p>“My name is Junmyeon,” he says, and he turns his head, rests his cheek along Sehun’s shoulder as he looks into his eyes. “That’s my true name.” </p><p>“W-What?” </p><p>“No one knows me by this name anymore,” Suho says. “My true name is all but forgotten. Not even the rest of them call me Junmyeon. They only know me as Suho.” </p><p>His eyes are full of pain long forgotten, but Sehun can see the scratches under the surface, filled with time.</p><p>“I will call you by whatever name you wish,” Sehun says, and he takes Junmyeon’s hand, curling it into a fist so that he can press a kiss to the backs of his fingers. “Whatever name you choose.” </p><p>“Junmyeon,” Suho says. “When we are alone like this, I would ask you call me Junmyeon.” </p><p>“Junmyeon,” Sehun says, and the name falls so happily from his mouth, like springtime rains. “Whatever you command, I shall obey.” </p><p>Junmyeon’s smile is different from all the rest, soft and tenuous like a rope that Sehun could tie himself to. When they kiss, it feels different too, less immortal, deigning to brush against the mortal, and more… more equal. </p><p>“I will come again on the morrow,” Junmyeon whispers, his mouth moving along Sehun’s, sharing his air. “I cannot be apart from you any longer.” </p><p>“I never want to be apart from you,” Sehun whispers back, a hand gentle on Junmyeon’s face. “I never want to be without you.” </p><p>“Such lovely words,” Junmyeon says. “Have you fallen for me?” </p><p>“Is this love? It must be,” Sehun whispers. “It tastes so sweet. Like honey on my lips.” </p><p>Junmyeon smiles through his kiss. </p><p>“I love you,” Junmyeon says. “I love you, I love you.” </p><p>“I know,” Sehun whispers. </p><p>“Do you believe me? Can you feel my heart beating with your blood?” </p><p>“Yes,” Sehun whispers again. “Yes, I can feel it.” </p><p>“Seems a pity to leave you,” Junmyeon says. </p><p>“D-Don’t leave, then,” Sehun says, a sudden wave of bravery painting him in bright gold. “Tell me something.” </p><p>“Tell you what?” Junmyeon smiles. “I shall tell you anything you wish to hear.” </p><p>“I want to be your equal,” Sehun whispers. “Now that I know your true name, I cannot deny my true desires any longer. I yearn to be yours… for this eternity, for the next, for all the forevers to come.” </p><p>“What are you saying?” Junmyeon asks, delighted. “Have you come to accept my proposal?” </p><p>“No,” Sehun says. “I propose to you instead.” </p><p>Junmyeon’s look of joy fades. “What are you proposing?” </p><p>“I will join you,” Sehun says, and his heart thumps in his neck and in his ears as he speaks, “in immortality.” </p><p>The air is stripped from the room, the water from the air, the life draining from Junmyeon’s face. </p><p>“This again,” he says. “After I told you plainly…” </p><p>“I do not wish to anger you,” Sehun whispers. “But I can’t think of why I shouldn’t try.” </p><p>“The trials set before you would kill you,” Junmyeon says. “How’s that for a reason why?” </p><p>“If I’m not able to spend an eternity with you, I should like to die now before I get too attached,” Sehun says softly. </p><p>Junmyeon makes a noise of disgust as he takes Sehun in a furiously passionate kiss. Sehun struggles to keep pace as Junmyeon rolls back onto him, their bodies crushed together, eroding rock. </p><p>“No more,” Junmyeon says, bellowed with the endless voice of time. “I will not lose you, do you hear it?” </p><p>“But you will,” Sehun says. “Eventually. When I grow old. Grey.” </p><p>“Precisely why I should take all the time I can with you,” Junmyeon smiles, and he kisses Sehun softly, sweetly. Like honey. </p><p>It makes Sehun forget, for the moment, that he seems increasingly desperate to avoid the possibility. <i>Why? Would it really be so dangerous?</i></p><p>Junmyeon lifts them both to their feet a moment later, and Sehun closes his eyes as they are both washed clean in holy waters. Junmyeon’s hair is soft, wet, and he combs his fingers through it, unable to help himself. Even if Junmyeon’s love isn’t true, Sehun is besotted. Torn apart with affection. </p><p>“I’ll come again tomorrow evening,” Junmyeon says. “Don’t bother looking for the storm. I wish to have you in the middle of a fair, peaceful night. Perhaps there will be stormbugs for us to gaze upon. Shooting stars.” </p><p>“Yes, my lord,” Sehun whispers. </p><p>Junmyeon takes Sehun’s face in his hand, pressing a soft kiss to the swell of his lips. </p><p>“Don’t be sullen,” Junmyeon says. “You’re much less handsome this way.”</p><p>“I’m sorry, my lord.” </p><p>Junmyeon nods as he pats Sehun on the cheek, and as he steps out of the temple, he disappears into nothingness, like he was never even there to begin with.<br/>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>wah! its almost been a month! i apologize for the slow update on this one but hopefully it was worth the wait. thank you so much for reading, i sincerely hope u enjoyed :') i like writing this story a lot, and after this chapter, i have a pretty clear idea of where we're going and where we'll end up! it will probably be longer than i intended (of course,,,,, Moron) but i think it will be a fun lil fic. anywho, i hope you're doing well today, it's wednesday afternoon where i am, so we're halfway done the week! finish strong, my friends! if u would like to talk, here is My Information: </p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/okamiwind">my twitter</a> | <a href="https://curiouscat.me/okamiwind">my curiouscat</a></p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. surge</h2></a>
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    <p>Sehun knows where to go, of course, only takes the time to work up the courage. </p><p>“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” his brother asks, watching him pack his bag early one morning. </p><p>“Weren’t you the one who told me to listen to fate?” Sehun asks. </p><p>“I didn’t know fate would lead you to <i>this</i>,” his brother says, and when Sehun looks up, he is staring at him worriedly. “Do you have all you’ll need? Do you know when you’ll be back?” </p><p>“I don’t know,” Sehun says, and the thrill of what he’s doing is finally settling in, filling him from head to toe with the most beautiful, sparkling energy. “But I believe I will be well.” </p><p>His brother doesn’t look convinced. Sehun can’t blame him. He doubts he would look convinced if the situations were reversed. </p><p>“Brother,” Sehun says, and he slings the strap of his bag over his shoulder with a smile, “I’ll return. Of that, I have no doubts.” </p><p>“I confess, that does not help put my worries to rest,” his brother says, and he throws his arms around Sehun, crushing him in a hug. “Whatever you’re doing, wherever you’re going… be safe, won’t you?” </p><p>“I will,” Sehun says, and he rests his cheek on his brother’s shoulder, shutting his eyes as he takes as much as he can. “I promise, I will.”<br/>
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</div><p>The journey to the mountain is perilous but not impossible to make. In fact, Sehun’s known many who have journeyed to offer Baekhyun words of praise in person. They say the palace floors are solid gold, the columns pure white marble. He closes his eyes as he walks, imagining the splendor for just a moment. It’s a good way to lose himself to the task at hand, boring as it is.</p><p>He crosses a rickety bridge between two large masses of land. He pauses in the valley of the bridge, staring down to the rocky river below. It’s the farthest he’s ever been, he thinks, and he turns back towards home. So small he can’t even see it now. He carefully navigates the rest of the bridge, and he keeps on his way. </p><p>Sehun stops near another small river in the evening, and he washes there, catching some of the smaller river fish with his bare hands. He skewers them on stakes, salts and roasts them over an open fire. He lays in the field, staring into the starry sky, and he lets his mind go to Junmyeon. </p><p>Surely, he will not be pleased that Sehun is doing this on his own without Junmyeon’s consent. Surely, he will be furious. Sehun smiles as he shuts his eyes, imagining the look on Junmyeon’s face. It will be nice to surprise him. He finds that charming, doesn’t he? </p><p>Sehun falls under the blanket of stars that evening, Junmyeon’s face on his mind.<br/>
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</div><p>The most he’s ever traveled in his life is to the fishing boats and back, so living on the road takes a bit of getting used to.</p><p>Sehun struggles to keep his feet quick, his belly full, and his heart light. There are plenty of fish, though, so while he might tire of it after the fourth or fifth meal straight, at least there is food. He thanks Suho quietly, smiling to himself. </p><p><i>What might he be up to,</i> Sehun wonders. <i>What kind of things is he thinking of in this moment?</i> </p><p><i>Is he thinking of me?</i> </p><p>It doesn’t seem all that far, thinking of Junmyeon.<br/>
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</div><p>It is far, of course, no matter who or what he’s thinking of, but he makes the journey all the same, stopping into the small hamlets he passes when he can. On the tenth night of walking, he finally makes it to the town at the base of the mountain, and thanks to some of the leftover silver, Sehun is able to book a room at the inn.</p><p>They seem surprised to see the pure silver pieces, and even just a single coin gets him better accommodations than he’s ever had in his whole life, a soft bed and as many glasses of weak red wine as he wants. He is happy to see a meal that <i>isn’t</i> fish, sugar and spice-rubbed chicken, roasted sprouts dripping with butter, and fresh baked bread. He sits outside as the dusk settles, cleaning his plate, and he stares upon the mountain. </p><p>It is glorious, even in the evening. The clouds are edged in navy and gold, sparkling as the moon begins to shine. Tomorrow, he tells himself, he will venture to the top. Tomorrow, he will enter the grand palace at the summit. Tomorrow, he will meet with Baekhyun for the second time. </p><p>He hopes to make a better impression. </p><p>Sleep is hard to find that night, but he forces himself to close his eyes anyway. He is certain that he will need his rest.<br/>
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</div><p>The paths up the mountain are well-trodden, but as he ascends into the skies, the air goes thin. He comes to a stop, holding up the line of travelers behind him, and he tries to catch his breath. Panic drips in as he realizes he can’t breathe, can’t find the air.</p><p>Suddenly, someone holds him by the arm, and he looks at her, alarmed. </p><p>She has soft brown hair, drifting in curls. <i>An angel? Am I dead?</i></p><p>“Don’t worry,” the woman says, a baby slung across her back. “You get used to the feeling.” </p><p>“W-What do you mean?” </p><p>“The weightless feeling in your chest,” she says, and she pats him on the shoulder, encouraging him forward with her. “Is it your first time?” </p><p>“Yes,” Sehun says. “Yes, my first time.” </p><p>“Bless you,” she smiles, and Sehun finds himself smiling back as she pulls him forward up into the heavens. </p><p>And she is right. He gets used to the air (or lack thereof). After that, it’s not so difficult. Even the hike is not overly difficult, thanks to the paths of hundreds upon thousands of feet before his own. The woman with the child walks ahead of him, and he keeps his eyes on her back. Eventually, though, once they get so high that it becomes hard to see through the clouds, he loses her. He mourns the loss only momentarily. Then, he looks up. </p><p>Pillars of shiny white stone, gold and smoke. The palace is… ethereal, light, magical, and Sehun cannot keep his eyes from wandering. When he steps off the beaten path, his feet land on the grand mosaic floor, the tiles of white, yellow, orange, and salmon red arranged in interlocking designs of swirls and pointed stars. </p><p>The lines of travelers branch off in two directions as they approach the palace under the veranda, urns of pure gold overflowing with white roses. There is music, though Sehun can’t locate the source. There are casks of wine lined along the walkways, ribbons strung from the rooftops. He hears the sound of laughter coming from inside the palace proper, and he closes his eyes to enjoy the sound before he realizes. </p><p>Sehun doesn’t know where to go, doesn’t know who to speak to, but thankfully, when he gets to the fork, there is a set of guards standing in front of a large door, swords at their belts. On the breast of their chest plates, they are branded with the red star. </p><p>“I’ve come in search of the light god,” Sehun says, lowering his head. “I’ve come to ask for his favor.” </p><p>The man scoffs, and Sehun crooks his brow as he looks at him. </p><p>“What?” Sehun asks. </p><p>“The light god <i>himself</i>?” the guard asks. </p><p>“Is that so foolish?” </p><p>“Try a temple,” the guard says. “He hears all prayers.” </p><p>“I don’t need a temple,” Sehun explains. “I need to see him in person.” </p><p>“All right, boy,” the guard says, voice filled with steel, “good luck with that, but you won’t make it through me.” To the left, the audiences. To the right, alms. Pick a line.” </p><p>“And why not with the light god himself?” Sehun asks. “It’s important.” </p><p>“Do you know how many nobodies come knocking day after day telling me <i>it’s important</i>?” </p><p>“I’m not no one.” </p><p>The guard looks him over. “You look like no one.” </p><p>“I might look like no one to you, but… but to him, I am most certainly not no one. If he sees my face, he will let me in,” Sehun says, “and you will feel silly for not letting me in in the first place.” </p><p>The guard looks to his left, and the man there shrugs his shoulders. </p><p>“I’ll bring you through,” the first guard says. “On one condition.” </p><p>“Surely,” Sehun says, smiling as charmingly as he knows how. </p><p>“When he tells you to get your ass back down the mountain, you’ll go without a fight,” the guard says. </p><p>“With pleasure,” Sehun agrees. </p><p>The guard rolls his eyes, and he opens the gates. “Follow me.” </p><p>Sehun hurries along as the guard moves. </p><p>He follows the guard through the door, and soon, he is overcome with the scent of flowers. Sehun’s eyes go wide as he tries to take in as much as he can, the richly painted frescoes lining the corridor, the sconces flickering with amber and red. The guard in front of him is mumbling something, but Sehun has no interest in that. </p><p>They come upon a stunning room, an audience chamber, and there is a throne of solid gold, the palmette and rinceau along the back splat studded with rubies so large Sehun thinks two wouldn’t fit in his hand properly. There are rows and rows of seating, and every footstep echoes loudly. Along the back wall, there is a stretch of red velvet curtain, and there is a man around his own height, very beautiful. His hair is like black silk, cascading down his front. </p><p>Sehun follows as the guard approaches. </p><p>“Y-Your grace,” the guard calls. </p><p>They are met with no response. Sehun looks around. It seems like the only person in the room is the man next to the curtain. He frowns. </p><p>The guard puts a bit more effort into his call. “Your grace.” </p><p>At their right, a curtain is drawn, and it reveals Baekhyun lounging across a red velvet bed. He yawns, stretching, and he locates the sound of the guard. He looks at Sehun, eyes going wide, the sleep shed from him easily. </p><p>“S-Suho’s boy,” Baekhyun says, and Sehun can hear the delight in his voice, candied and sugary as he stands. “Whatever are you doing here?” </p><p>Sehun immediately drops to his hands and knees, bowing before Baekhyun. </p><p>“I have to ask for your favor,” Sehun says, letting his forehead touch the floor. “I had to ask in person.” </p><p>“Leave us,” Baekhyun says staunchly, and Sehun hears the receding footsteps of the guard. </p><p>He waits, heart in his mouth. </p><p>“Rise,” Baekhyun says, and Sehun stands before him, head still lowered deferentially. “Look at me, won’t you?” </p><p>Sehun looks up, and <i>gods</i>.</p><p>To behold him is to look upon the sun itself, and when Sehun instinctively shuts his eyes to the light, the dark behind his eyelids is not its usual black. Instead, it is a murderous red, the sun shining so brightly that he can see the blood in his skin. </p><p>He doesn’t know what he was thinking coming here. He doesn’t know what he thought he could accomplish. He is no one. He is nothing. And standing here before him is a god, bright and ethereal. </p><p>“You look famished,” Baekhyun says, and his face splits into a smile. “Was the journey difficult for you?” </p><p>“Not so terrible,” Sehun says, the words falling out of his mouth before he can verify their accuracy. </p><p>“Well, you’ll be well taken care of here,” Baekhyun smiles, and he looks to the attendant at his left. “Fix his room. Send plenty of fine refreshments.” He looks at Sehun. “Do you drink?” </p><p>“D-Drink?” </p><p>“Honeyed wine,” Baekhyun says, pointing at his attendant. “And perhaps a selection of the rice wines.” He turns back to Sehun. “There is a very flowery vintage that I think you might enjoy.” </p><p>Sehun frowns as he bows. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” </p><p>“Think nothing of it,” Baekhyun says casually, waving his hand. “And feel free to wash before the feast.” </p><p>“Feast?” </p><p>“This evening,” Baekhyun says, and he narrows his gaze. “You did not even remember the feast day of the god you visit?” </p><p>Sehun’s heart goes cold. Of course. It is the solstice. The ribbons and flowers, the music, the laughter, the casks of wine… it makes sense. </p><p>“N-No, of course not, bright and effulgent lord,” Sehun says, clasping his hands in front of him. “How could I forget?” </p><p>Baekhyun’s eyes scan him up and down. “You couldn’t. Not unless you were preoccupied with something else.” Baekhyun grins. “<i>Someone</i> else.” </p><p>Sehun looks away from his molten gold eyes as he feels the heat rush to his face. </p><p>“I’ll stop teasing,” Baekhyun says, “for now.” He brushes the arm of the attendant, and the touch makes his eyes flutter closed. “Help him to his room, please. Ensure that he is alerted at the beginning of the feast, won’t you?” </p><p>“Yes, your grace,” the attendant says, and when he turns, Sehun sees the red mark on the back of his neck. The tattoo of the sacred ones. His stomach rolls as he looks upon the pointed star. </p><p>He is led through winding hallways, and even if Sehun was trying to memorize his way back to the audience hall, he doesn’t think he’d be able to. The kingdom’s castle is just too large, too luxurious, every inch dripping with gold and decadence. The sacred ones, and it seems as though there are dozens upon dozens, flutter past him. There are so many, each moving to their destination with purpose and determination. They remind him of bees. The hive hums as he follows the attendant, eyes going to the red star on the back of his neck. </p><p>“I-Is it pleasant here?” Sehun asks. </p><p>The attendant looks back over his shoulder like he didn’t expect Sehun to speak to him. </p><p>“Pleasant?” </p><p>“Living here,” Sehun says. “Serving the light god.” </p><p>The attendant’s face goes red with a smile as he turns back around, a bit of a hitch in his step. </p><p>“Very pleasant,” the attendant says. </p><p>“And are the rumors of his grace’s love true?” Sehun asks, unable to stop himself. </p><p>“All true,” the attendant says. “Follow me, please.” </p><p>Sehun smiles to himself as he adjusts his bag’s strap along his shoulders, led through seemingly endless corridors. </p><p>Finally, the attendant stops short, and Sehun is forced to take a small step forward to avoid crashing into him. The attendant smiles at him before pushing open the door, revealing the wonder within. A plush feather bed, richly colored bedding, a large pool… he is truly in heaven. </p><p>“I will check on you before the feast,” the attendant says, and he brushes his hair back. “Your refreshments should arrive soon. Feel free to rest until then.”</p><p>After he is alone, Sehun makes use of the bathing pool, washing away the dirt and sweat from the hike. He finds more appropriate clothes in the closet, thin silk robes. For a moment, he imagines himself here, branded with the red sun. Would he be among the most treasured of the sacred ones? He smiles to himself. Maybe with time. </p><p>Once he lies down, he is aware of the toll the hike took, so he rests for the better part of the afternoon, only roused by the sound of a different attendant knocking at his door. </p><p>The feast in the hall is even lovelier than the one Junmyeon had, though Sehun assumes that Baekhyun makes no sacrifices for the solstice. The hall thrashes with the sound of a party, and Sehun enjoys himself though he doesn’t know anyone besides <i>Baekhyun.</i> He eats himself full, trying a bit of everything. There are soft-boiled salted eggs, sugared almonds, a cold tomato soup and a warm stew of beef and barley. He eats roast chicken and duck, thick slices of white cheese and toasted bread slathered with fig and plum jams. He drinks wine, and oh, there is wine. </p><p>When he is called to the head table, he is a bit light-headed. It’s the best way to face a god, he thinks. Drunk. </p><p>“You look lovely,” Baekhyun praises. “I see you found the clothes.” </p><p>“Yes, your grace,” Sehun says. “Thank you. You look… you look as beautiful as ever.”</p><p>“You know, I didn’t think I’d see you again,” Baekhyun says with a charming smile. “What brings you all the way from home, weary traveler?” </p><p>“I needed to call upon you,” Sehun says. </p><p>“Do mortal men simply arrive and <i>call</i>?” </p><p>Sehun looks him over as he sits on his throne. He is taller here, Sehun is convinced. </p><p>“I would beg for it,” Sehun says softly, “if the bright lord himself demanded it of me.” </p><p>A smirk turns onto Baekhyun’s face, and he sits back in his grand throne. </p><p>“You need my counsel?” Baekhyun says. “All right then. I’m here. What do you require of me, sculler?” </p><p>“C-Can you do me a favor?” Sehun asks. </p><p>Baekhyun squints at him. “Do <i>you</i> a favor? I’ve already done you several.” He holds up his hand, ticking down his fingers. “I’ve allowed you safe passage across these lands, I’ve granted you entrance to the mountain palace, I’ve given you food and drink, I’ve granted you a seat at the very important solstice feast, I’ve not taken you as one of my own…” and he wiggles all five fingers. “And now you want another?” </p><p>“I am grateful for all your kindness,” Sehun says. “Truly.” </p><p>“And you will ask me for another favor,” Baekhyun says, rolling his eyes. “Go on, out with it, boy.” </p><p>“I would ask you to call upon the eight,” Sehun says. “M-Minus Suho.” </p><p>Baekhyun raises his brows, and his eyes search Sehun’s for a moment. Sehun stands there very still, reminiscent of how he used to stand around Junmyeon. Now, he feels stronger around Junmyeon. Maybe someday, he would feel the same way around Baekhyun. </p><p>“What would you want me to do that for, hm?” Baekhyun asks. “Deceit? From <i>you</i>?” </p><p>“I am capable of much,” Sehun says softly. </p><p>“For what purpose, though?” Baekhyun says. “You would destroy what trust there is between the two of you… for what?” </p><p>“For a chance at a life unbroken spent with him,” Sehun confesses. “A life spent happily.” </p><p>Baekhyun stares at him blankly for a couple seconds before he bursts into a fit of riotous laughter. Sehun squints. He doesn’t recall saying anything that was funny. </p><p>“You truly deserve each other,” Baekhyun says, and for some reason, it doesn’t sound anything like a compliment should. “You want the council? Return to your chamber. I will call them within the sun.” </p><p>“R-Really?” Sehun asks. “You’ll help me?” </p><p>“As long as you’re here, it is my duty to take care of your every whim and want,” Baekhyun says magnanimously. “So go. Rest. I will send for you when the rest of them have arrived.” He smiles at Sehun. “Best think of what you’re going to say when they arrive. They’re awfully hard to convince.” </p><p>Sehun nods before he bows before Baekhyun. He’s not as scary as Sehun once thought. In fact, he’s plenty helpful.<br/>
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</div><p>Sehun luxuriates in the guest room just as Baekhyun told him to. He bathes again in the clearest waters, scented with rose and lavender. His skin comes out clearer, more refreshed than he can ever remember it feeling. Except when he returned from the sea, of course, but that’s… that’s not even fair to compare the two.</p><p>He pats himself dry with a soft towel, and he squints at rows and rows of jars and bottles along the table under the filigreed mirror. He unscrews the cap from one of the smaller jars, and he sniffs the lotion inside. It smells like fennel. He screws the cap back on, and he doesn’t investigate any more of the jars. </p><p>The bed is exceedingly comfortable, so he lies across it as he tries to relax. He’s prayed to all of them at one time or another, but he’s only ever seen Junmyeon and Baekhyun. Trying to imagine seven of them staring at him, eyebrows raised boredly as he tries to explain why he should be allowed to join them… </p><p>Perhaps he has made a critical error somewhere along the way. </p><p>It’s too late to go back, though. He’s come here with the intent to join them. And he will. Heaven help him.<br/>
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</div><p>Sehun is called the following morning, and as he’s still wiping the sleep from his eyes, he’s led to a room with a long curved table, eight seats along the semi-circle. Sehun stands in front of it as the door to the room is shut behind him, and in between one blink and the next, every seat in front of him is filled… except for one.</p><p>“What’s the meaning of this?” Yixing asks. “Some of us don’t just laze around all day long.” </p><p>“Some of us have work to attend to,” Kyungsoo agrees. </p><p>“When did this become a forum to air grievances against <i>me</i>?” Baekhyun asks, and he gestures to Sehun, raising his brow. “<i>Here</i> is the reason we’re here today.” </p><p>“A mortal?” Minseok asks, tilting his head to the side. “An exceedingly pretty one.” He looks back at Baekhyun. “Are you sure this doesn’t have anything to do with you?” </p><p>“He’s <i>Suho’s</i> boy,” Baekhyun says. “Didn’t have even a blink of an eye for me.” He sighs, resting his chin in his hands. </p><p>“Get on with it,” Chanyeol says, and he nudges Jongin in the side with his elbow. “If the motion passes, you owe me ten thousand.” </p><p>“We’ve not even heard the matter yet,” Jongin says, and he splits into a smile. “You’re on.” </p><p>They shake hands, and Sehun stares in awe. They are… they are incredible. Each is more beautiful than they have the right to be, each is shining and glimmering, magic dripping from their pores. He is overwhelmed, mouth dry, hands twisting at his front. </p><p>“Well?” Baekhyun asks, jarring Sehun out of thought. “I’ve made good on my promise. And you?” </p><p>“M-My lords,” Sehun says. “Y-Your graces, I… I am but a simple man.” </p><p>“Oh, this is boring,” Chanyeol says. </p><p>“Let the boy talk,” Jongin says. “He’s nervous. Look at his hands shaking.” He nods at Sehun. “Take your time, sweet boy.” </p><p>Baekhyun clears his throat, though, and Sehun looks into each of their eyes. He means to join them. He will join them if it's the last thing he does. </p><p>“I have fallen in love,” Sehun says. “An endless love. An eternal one. One that cannot be swept away like marks in the sand.” </p><p>“Oh, he’s romantic,” Minseok praises. “I’m fond of him.” </p><p>“Will that be how we make our decision?” Yixing asks. “Based on fondness?” </p><p>“Listen to the boy,” Jongin encourages. </p><p>“We’re listening, we’re listening,” Jongdae says. “If any of us could shut our mouths…” </p><p>“Mouths are not for shutting,” Baekhyun asserts. </p><p>“We are all well aware of your personal feelings on the matter,” Jongdae says, and he turns back to Sehun. “Your love is not ephemeral, or so you say.” </p><p>“It isn’t,” Sehun says quickly. “I swear.” </p><p>“You’ll have to do more than swear if you’re about to ask for what I believe you’re about to ask for,” Jongdae says warily. </p><p>“I want to join him,” Sehun says, trying to project a sort of quiet confidence. “I want to become immortal so that our love can be as endless as it feels in this moment.” </p><p>“<i>Oh</i>,” Minseok says. “How precious.” </p><p>“If you’ve heard about them what I’ve heard about them, you would not deign call it <i>precious</i>,” Chanyeol laughs. </p><p>“You know what it entails, don’t you?” Yixing asks. “You know what kind of trials await you?” </p><p>“I know,” Sehun says. </p><p>“And still… you’ve set your heart on it?” </p><p>“I have.” </p><p>“Why should we?” Jongdae asks, sitting back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest. “There is precedence, surely, but what makes you… oh, I don’t know. What makes you <i>special?</i>”</p><p>“W-Well, I am… I was chosen,” Sehun says. “I was chosen by the water god, and I—”</p><p>“He thought you were fair,” Jongdae says. “What else?” </p><p>“Y-Your grace?” </p><p>“What else is special about you?” Baekhyun challenges. “What is so wonderful?” </p><p>Sehun looks to the floor, and he knows that this moment, caught on the hook of time itself, will be when his fate is decided. This moment, and this moment alone. Him. No one but himself. Not any of the gods, not Junmyeon… him.</p><p>“I want to be great,” Sehun says, looking into them. “I want to do something special with my life. There is nothing more special than this. There is nothing greater than this. I want… in truth, there is nothing wonderful, nothing special about me. Not yet. But in me, there are possibilities beyond comprehension. I believe this with my whole heart. ” </p><p>They are all excruciatingly quiet as Sehun looks between the seven of them. He waits for what feels like a lifetime before Yixing laughs, Jongdae smiles, and Chanyeol snorts. </p><p>“It would be special, all right,” Chanyeol says. </p><p>“You’ve let it happen once before,” Sehun says. “All I am requesting from your elegance is… is the chance.” </p><p>That is when he hears it. The torrential downpour. </p><p>They all look to Jongdae, but he shrugs his shoulders. </p><p>“It isn’t my doing,” Jongdae says. “After all, I don’t control the rains, just the strikes.” </p><p>Sehun’s heart goes to his feet. </p><p>“Oh, this will be delicious,” Chanyeol says, and he leans forward in his seat as the rains crash down on the roof above them. </p><p>Junmyeon bursts into the room with a wave at his back, and it splits around his body as he walks into the council room. Sehun’s stomach aches as he observes the beauty, the rage, everything tangled into one. </p><p>“What’s the meaning of this?” he asks, voice strung tight as the waters rise to his calves. He dutifully avoids looking at Sehun, instead focusing on the seven gods arranged in a semi-circle. “Why wasn’t I called?” </p><p>“It was a special request,” Baekhyun says, “if you must know. The mortal in question asked that you <i>not</i> be invited.” </p><p>Junmyeon shuts his eyes, and Sehun watches as the vein across his forehead pulses with anger. </p><p>“If there is to be a vote, then I will have my voice heard,” Junmyeon says. “It is the way of things. It is the way our council was written.” </p><p>“Damn him,” Yixing says. “He’s right.” </p><p>“Fine, fine,” Baekhyun mutters. “Are we ready to vote?” </p><p>“Let’s get this over with,” Kyungsoo says boredly. “I’m meant to be listening to actual problems right now.” </p><p>“I haven’t gotten a chance to speak,” Junmyeon says. </p><p>“It’s too late for all that,” Jongdae says. “You’re <i>late</i>.” </p><p>“All in favor,” Baekhyun says. </p><p>The seven raise their hands, and Sehun’s mouth goes dry as he realizes what’s going to happen next. </p><p>“Opposed?” </p><p>Junmyeon’s hand shoots into the air, and a geyser of salt water rises beside him. </p><p>“Seven to one,” Baekhyun says. “The council has spoken on the matter. He’ll be allowed to compete.” </p><p>Furious waves come crashing into the room as the seven of them disappear into clouds of smoke, leaving just Junmyeon and Sehun in the room. Sehun’s stomach goes tense, painful as he turns to look at Junmyeon. </p><p>“Come,” he says sternly. “Hold my hand.” </p><p>“Are you going to hurt me?” Sehun asks. </p><p>“<i>Are you going to hurt me?</i>” Junmyeon mocks, spitting it out. “Give me your hand, fisherboy. You won’t die this day, at least not by my hand.” </p><p>Sehun takes Junmyeon’s offered hand, and just like that, they are away.<br/>
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</div><p>Within the blink of his eyes, his body comes back together again and he feels so <i>heavy</i>. He sucks in air, very aware now of each and every breath. He looks around them, around him and Junmyeon, and he immediately recognizes where they are. The temple.</p><p>“What were you thinking?” Junmyeon asks. “What could have possibly possessed you to do what you did?” </p><p>“Love,” Sehun tries, and Junmyeon narrows his eyes. “Insatiable love?” </p><p>“You are a stupid boy,” Junmyeon scoffs. “You know little about the ways of the world, so little about our way of life, and still, you jump headfirst into… into <i>this</i>?” </p><p>“How can you blame me?” Sehun asks. “How, when you showed me how wonderful it could be?” </p><p>“I gave you <i>everything</i>,” Junmyeon says, “I gave you everything that anyone could want. And still it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t enough to be <i>rich</i> beyond belief, it wasn’t enough to be <i>special</i> and held above the rest. You had to be <i>with me forever.</i>” </p><p><i>If you loved me</i>, Sehun thinks, <i>isn’t that what you would want? Unbroken love?</i> </p><p>“You never really loved me,” Sehun whispers. “You were… you were just trying to win my heart so that you could hold it above your head like a trophy.” </p><p>“If you were smarter, you would see that for the compliment that it is,” Junmyeon stresses. “Because we are different, you and I. Different on many levels. And you seek to bring us <i>even</i>.” </p><p>“Like that’s such a terrible thing,” Sehun spits. “I knew. I knew back in your kingdom that this was all just a game to you, that you had no idea how to truly love someone, and still—”</p><p>“And still, you’re willing to risk life and limb just at a chance at being with me forevermore,” Junmyeon whispers. “Isn’t that something?” </p><p>Sehun looks away, eyes on the horizon. He watches the line between sky and sea waver as his eyes go watery, and he closes his eyes to mask the tear spilling down his face. </p><p>“Don’t <i>cry</i>,” Junmyeon says. “It makes the argument less fun if I know it’s upsetting you.” </p><p>“It really is just a play to you.” </p><p>“Of course it is,” Junmyeon says, and he brushes the tear away from Sehun’s face with his thumb before cupping Sehun’s shoulders with both hands. “That’s why it’s so difficult for mortals and gods to find love together. Because we understand life in very different ways.” </p><p>“Would it be so terrible for me to come to understand you?” </p><p>“I didn’t ask for understanding,” Junmyeon says. “I asked for your devotion.” </p><p>“And it’s yours,” Sehun says. </p><p>“This is not an act of devotion.” Junmyeon crosses his arms along his chest. “This was an act of selfishness.” </p><p>“Then perhaps we are not so different after all.” </p><p>Junmyeon narrows his eyes, and he looks just as he did storming into Baekhyun’s palace, full of the rage of the seas. Sehun is about to take a step back, fear jumping through him, but Junmyeon is faster. He captures Sehun in a kiss, hand firm on the back of Sehun’s neck as he licks into his mouth. Sehun moans sharply, unexpectedly, and Junmyeon swallows it down. </p><p>They grind against each other there under the archway to the temple, grinding like they are trying to sand away the disagreements. Sehun takes Junmyeon in his arms, holding him tightly. Sehun kisses along the side of Junmyeon’s face, lavishing him with the love that only a mortal man could give him, and Junmyeon tilts his head back and moans when Sehun sucks a kiss to the soft part of his neck. </p><p>“You have defied me so many times today,” Junmyeon whispers. “What does it say about me, about the way I <i>feel</i> for you that you’re still living?” </p><p>“You find sacrilege arousing,” Sehun whispers back, and he slots his thigh between Junmyeon’s legs, urging him to grind into the muscle with a hand at the small of Junmyeon’s back. “You are perverted, just as I am.” </p><p>“This perversion is less arousing,” Junmyeon whispers. “Less <i>cute</i>.” </p><p>“Love me,” Sehun says. “Let me compete for an eternal life.” </p><p>“I’m no one to stop you,” Junmyeon says, and he bucks his hips hard against Sehun, trembling with want. “Not now that you’ve brought the seven of them together.” He shakes his head before pressing his forehead to Sehun’s shoulder. “What have I done, giving you such power? Such confidence?” </p><p>“I don’t know,” Sehun whispers. “I imagine we’ll find out.” </p><p>“Fuck me,” Junmyeon says, and Sehun whirls him through the temple, pressing him easily to the floor. Junmyeon stares up at him, brushes his hand across Sehun’s face. “I’ll never forget you, you know.” </p><p>“You won’t have to.” </p><p>“I will,” Junmyeon says. “Do you think this will be <i>easy</i>? Do you think it’s something that just <i>anyone</i> can do? Do you think they will be kind to you simply because of me?” Junmyeon laughs, looks to the side, and Sehun takes the opportunity to suck a kiss to his throat. “They will make it more difficult because they know how I favor you. Your defiance will be your downfall. You will perish trying to reach me.” </p><p>Sehun can’t hear anymore of it, overwhelmed by a sudden flare of heat within him. He kisses Junmyeon hard, squeezing his eyes shut so tightly that he sees stars dancing along the dark. He pulls himself free, slipping into the now familiar feeling of Junmyeon’s warm waters. </p><p>“I’m going to survive,” Sehun whispers, his mouth against Junmyeon’s, thrusting inside him hard as if to remind him that he’s still here, still breathing. <i>Not dead yet.</i> “I will win a forever by your side. What then, lord of the sea? What will become of us then?” </p><p>Junmyeon cries out, and it sounds exactly like storms hitting the shore.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hello everyone! sorry if this is a weird, goofy bad chapter. i like this story a lot, it's fun to write, but its also! a little hard! so i hope you liked it even if it was. You know. Not what you expected! things tend to spiral when i write them. like what are we doing here anymore. pilgrimage? again? Anyhow. i hope you have a great weekend. have some fun for me! also let me know if you liked this chapter bc im thinking about not writing anymore exo after this is all said and done LOL is that too dramatic? Alas. okay. bye bye </p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/okamiwind">my twitter</a> | <a href="https://curiouscat.me/okamiwind">my curiouscat</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. the search for the glimmerstone, part one</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sehun is led to the ocean, and Junmyeon doesn’t speak to him the whole journey down to the depths of the kingdom. </p><p>“Oh, don’t be that way,” Sehun whispers. </p><p>Junmyeon sucks in a furious breath, and Sehun smiles at the stern line of his shoulders. </p><p>“Keep moving, mortal,” Junmyeon says. </p><p>“Can’t you just take my hand like you did before?” Sehun asks. </p><p>Junmyeon whips around. “Want the <i>easy</i> way, fisherboy? Well, it’s too late for all that. You’ve purposefully chosen to make things difficult.” He turns back around, stomping towards the ocean. “Could have had <i>everything</i>... like a <i>gift</i>.” </p><p>“But you are the ultimate gift,” Sehun says. </p><p>“I am not <i>something</i> to be <i>won</i>.” </p><p>“Neither am I.” </p><p>Junmyeon looks back at Sehun, glaring at him. </p><p>“You think you’re so clever.” </p><p>“I’ve learned from you,” Sehun says. “If you had not wanted to teach me, then I’m afraid you’ve tread down the wrong path somewhere along the way.” </p><p>“Ha ha,” Junmyeon says, and they reach the edge of the water, Sehun finally at Junmyeon’s side. “Shall I drown you?” </p><p>“I don’t think you could,” Sehun says. </p><p>Junmyeon laughs. “You think so highly of yourself.” </p><p>“Another thing I learned from you, I suppose,” Sehun says cheerfully. “You’re quite the teacher.” </p><p>Junmyeon laughs, taking Sehun by the hand as he walks into the water. </p><p>“Relish in your supposed win, I’ll allow it,” Junmyeon says. “Your end is fast approaching. I see the thread of your life being cut as we speak.” </p><p>They dip beneath the waves, and Sehun breathes in the sea. It is a feeling unlike any other, and Junmyeon tugs him forward, down, down. Down. </p><p>“Why are you taking me here?” Sehun asks. “Aren’t you angry?” </p><p>“I beg,” Junmyeon says, “silence.” </p><p>“Does the sound of my voice make you ache?” </p><p>“It reminds me of your foolishness, and I will mourn for the loss of your flesh,” Junmyeon says. </p><p>“Is that all?” Sehun asks, and they swim towards the kingdom, faraway like a fairytale. </p><p>“Yes, that’s all,” Junmyeon says. “You are nothing to me but a warm body.” </p><p>“Your words might hurt if I believed them,” Sehun says. </p><p>“You are without a doubt the worst mortal I’ve ever come to lust after,” Junmyeon says, hand tight on Sehun’s. </p><p>“I think I’d rather be exceptional than forgettable,” Sehun smiles, and he squeezes Junmyeon’s hand in his as they return.</p><p><i>Home</i>, he thinks wistfully. <i>Perhaps someday.</i><br/>
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  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>Junmyeon leads him through the castle which has lost none of its shine. Sehun looks around wide-eyed as the people pass him by, staring and whispering.</p><p>“What are they talking about?” Sehun asks. </p><p>“You, of course,” Junmyeon says. </p><p>“Me?” </p><p>“Word travels fast, fisherboy,” Junmyeon says. “They know this is almost certainly your last time in the kingdom.” </p><p>“Why would that be?” Sehun asks with a smile. </p><p>Junmyeon squints at him. “You jest, but I don’t think you are fully aware of what you’ve decided on. You haven’t yet understood your fate.” </p><p>“I understand it well,” Sehun says, and he nudges his shoulder into Junmyeon’s. “You’ve told me so many times now.” </p><p>“And still you’ve no understanding,” Junmyeon says. “You are certainly a miracle.” He looks at Sehun. “Our level of intimacy has done away with decorum?” </p><p>“I never heard much about your lovers’ decorum in the stories,” Sehun says. </p><p>The water goes cold around them, and a shiver runs up Sehun’s back. </p><p>“Tread lightly,” Junmyeon warns. </p><p>“Did you favor any of them more than me?” Sehun asks. </p><p>“Would it matter if I had?” Junmyeon asks. “They’re dead and gone now.” </p><p>“That will be the difference between them and me,” Sehun says. “I will not leave you.” </p><p>“You will,” Junmyeon says, and they turn the corner into another long hallway. “You will, and then, you too shall fall into song. Just like those <i>lovers</i> of yesterday.” </p><p>How much of what he says does he mean, Sehun wonders. There is bravado, there is grandiosity, there is so much pride in everything he does. </p><p>Maybe, ever since the ruling, he has been telling Sehun the truth. Maybe he cares not of Sehun’s mind or his heart, only cares for the blood running through him, his caress, his embrace. Just as he said. Just as he’s been saying.</p><p>Has Sehun thrown his life away for nothing? </p><p><i>No</i>, he reminds himself. <i>No one could fake something so well. Not even a god.</i> </p><p>They slow to a stop in front of a large wooden door, and Sehun looks at Junmyeon expectantly. </p><p>“These will be your chambers,” Junmyeon says, and he pushes open the door to reveal a lavishly furnished room nearly identical to Junmyeon’s own. “You should find everything you need here.” </p><p>“Why would I need chambers of my own?” Sehun asks. “I thought I would be staying with you.” </p><p>“It’s only for one evening,” Junmyeon smiles. “You won’t need it long.” </p><p>“You really believe that I would let myself die?” </p><p>Junmyeon sighs, and he raises himself up on his tiptoes. Sehun looks deeply into Junmyeon’s eyes as Junmyeon cups Sehun’s cheek in the palm of his hand. Junmyeon kisses Sehun’s lips sweetly… with great tenderness and love. </p><p>“I don’t think you’ll have much of a choice in the matter, little fool of mine,” Junmyeon says softly. </p><p><i>Surely it is all an act,</i> Sehun thinks. <i>He must be trying to scare me because I am so precious to him.</i></p><p>Sehun pushes them into the chambers, shutting the door behind them. He kisses Junmyeon in that practiced, self-assured way that leaves Junmyeon a shivering mess in his arms. He guides them towards the wall, the water parting around their bodies. He takes Junmyeon in his arms, making a soft sound of appreciation as they press together in that familiar embrace. Warm, wet, and whole. </p><p>“Shall I give you something to remember this world by?” Junmyeon whispers, the sound traipsing through the waves. </p><p>“You’ve already given me so many memories, my lord,” Sehun whispers with a smile. “Shouldn’t we rest?” </p><p>“Ah, what’s one more?” Junmyeon says, indulging in another passionate kiss. “You never know how long you’ll have this, I’m afraid.” </p><p>They lie together on the bed, and Sehun pulls them both from their clothing. The dying sounds of day surround them as they wrap each other in loving arms. Sehun kisses down the length of Junmyeon’s throat, hand along his waist as he arches his back. </p><p>He pets down Junmyeon’s body like the whispering current of the river, tracing the lines of his muscles, making him tense and shift. He dips the tips of his fingers into Junmyeon’s body, and it makes Junmyeon moan. </p><p>Even though his body and mind are exhausted, he finds it easy to discover the energy to bed Junmyeon. He is like lightning, more than he should be. It is a dangerous combination, all that white heat spreading across his waters. </p><p>He smiles as he pushes Junmyeon gently to the expertly made bed, rustling the sheets beneath him. He climbs onto Junmyeon’s body, caging him in with his arms as he kisses across his face, watching the skin paint red and full of arousal. </p><p>“Look at you now,” Junmyeon whispers, the sound harsh even as it’s dampened by the water. “You know exactly what you want, don’t you?” </p><p>“Yes,” Sehun whispers, and he sucks a kiss to the hollow of Junmyeon’s throat. “You. Always.” </p><p>“Do you remember, fisherboy? Our first time together?” Junmyeon says, and a thrill of lust spirals around the length of Sehun’s spine. “You were so wanton, so eager, but you had no idea what to do. No idea how to please a man.” </p><p>“I seek your quiet,” Sehun whispers, and the words dance down Junmyeon’s neck as he moves, pulling Junmyeon’s soft clothes open and away from his body. “I do my best work in the quiet.” </p><p>Junmyeon starts to make a noise of dissent, something that sounds like the thing you’d tie to the beginning of an argument, but Sehun circles a hand around Junmyeon’s cock, making that noise fall to ash, sand upon the floor. </p><p>“What will you do with me?” Junmyeon asks, and if Sehun couldn’t hear the arousal plain as day in his voice, he would be able to see it painted all over Junmyeon’s body in red and gold. </p><p>“Perhaps I will leave you wondering,” Sehun says, and he twists his hand around Junmyeon’s cock, making Junmyeon’s body arch with pleasure. “Maybe I won’t give you much of anything at all.” </p><p>“And if I order you?” Junmyeon asks. “If I drown you?” </p><p>“You wouldn’t dare,” Sehun whispers, and he sees the words ripple through Junmyeon’s body. “How many times must we admit it to ourselves? You cherish me more than words can say.” </p><p>Junmyeon rolls his eyes, and Sehun makes them roll back as he takes Junmyeon’s balls in a tight hand. </p><p>“You take to cruelty like a child takes to water,” Junmyeon whispers, and his body shakes as Sehun manipulates him. </p><p>“I’ve told you,” Sehun says, and he plays with Junmyeon’s cock like it is nothing to him, “I’ve learned from a master.” </p><p>“Blame it on me, will you?” Junmyeon asks. “That’s fine. You’ll need that cruelty to make it through.” </p><p><i>Believe me,</i> Sehun thinks. <i>I know.</i> </p><p>He strokes Junmyeon’s cock lazily, casually, and Junmyeon bites his lip. </p><p>“Is this all you’re going to do?” Junmyeon wonders, feigning like it doesn’t matter in the least to him. Sehun knows better than all that now. “I know it’s been a few hours, but have you forgotten how it goes?” </p><p>“No,”Sehun says, “I’ve not forgotten.” </p><p>Swiftly, he takes Junmyeon’s ankles in his hands, bending Junmyeon’s legs neatly in half. </p><p>“Hold them there,” Sehun says. “If you don’t want to be punished, you’ll do as I say.” </p><p>“Oh, look at you,” Junmyeon says eagerly, and his body writhes. “You’ve tasted the wine of power, and now, all you want to do is get <i>drunk</i>.”</p><p>“Yes,” Sehun whispers, and he kisses Junmyeon’s ankle, staring down at the bounty of his body. “I confess, it’s true.” </p><p>“I’ll stay still,” Junmyeon whispers back. “Do as you please. I will lie here and <i>take it</i>.” </p><p>The back of Sehun’s neck is slapped hot and red, and he puts his hands on the soft insides of Junmyeon’s thighs, spreading them apart even further. Junmyeon moans, a delicate little sound that falls, drips down his neck, and Sehun wishes he could lean up and lick it away. But this is purposeful. This is important. </p><p><i>No one will ever give you pleasure the way I do,</i> Sehun thinks. <i>No one will ever give you what you desire. Not like me. This is my oath to you. This, I swear.</i> </p><p>He kisses Junmyeon’s thighs, wet, open-mouthed kisses that make the most obscene sounds. Junmyeon revels in that, the sounds, and Sehun does too, his stomach dropping with pleasure and perversion. He grinds into the bed as his mouth moves closer and closer to Junmyeon’s hole, Junmyeon going tense as he anticipates the feeling to come. </p><p>“Do you want it, my lord?” Sehun asks. </p><p>“Yes,” Junmyeon hisses. </p><p>“Ask me nicely for it, won’t you?” </p><p>He raises his head to watch the blush streak across Junmyeon’s chest, and he bites his lip between his teeth. </p><p>“P-<i>Please</i>,” Junmyeon says, quiet, so quiet. Like that is the most shameful thing he’s ever said. </p><p>Sehun rewards him for it, kissing along his hole with all the enthusiasm he possesses. </p><p>Junmyeon cries out, and Sehun hums into his skin as he licks in again, pressing harder with the tip of his tongue. He pushes on Junmyeon’s thighs, a reminder to keep still, and Junmyeon groans brokenly. The sound rolls down Sehun’s back. It makes him dance with desire. </p><p>He licks eagerly, mouth moving so hard his jaw aches as the seconds turn to minutes, as the room fills with the sounds of love and sex and all the shades of red between the two. He hums, a low note that he holds as the whispers of vibration radiate out, making Junmyeon squirm. Sehun likes that. Likes seeing him move like that. Desperate and stupid. </p><p><i>Anywhere else,</i> he thinks. <i>You are my god, but here, within these walls of mine, I am yours. I rule over you.</i> </p><p>His tongue circles, laps at Junmyeon’s hole. The taste of him is familiar, like the sweetest, clearest water that’s ever slipped down his throat. He drinks Junmyeon down, and Junmyeon’s legs slip from his hands thoughtlessly, his thighs settling against Sehun’s ears. Sehun takes a moment to revel in it, the filth of it draping over him, before wrapping his arms around Junmyeon’s legs, holding him so tightly that he thinks he could bruise the skin. </p><p>He only lets go of his hold on Junmyeon once he is reduced to a quivering mess, lying there like he couldn’t bear to be kissed any longer, just on the edge of taking his pleasure. </p><p>Sehun kneels between Junmyeon’s spread legs, tracing his fingers along Junmyeon’s cock. </p><p>“I said I’d punish you,” Sehun says softly, and Junmyeon moans. </p><p>“<i>Yes</i>,” he hisses, and when Sehun slips his finger into Junmyeon’s body, again, “yes.” </p><p>“Does it feel like punishment?” Sehun teases, and he pushes it inside a little deeper, with a bit more insistence. </p><p>“No, not at all,” Junmyeon says, and his body is pulled loose, relaxing into the familiarity. “I think maybe you love me too much to punish me.” </p><p><i>Is that so</i>, Sehun thinks, smiling down at Junmyeon. </p><p>The realization soon sets in for Junmyeon, though, the punishment clear as day: Sehun will drag his feet, will torture him with the slowest, most sensual of movement. Until he begs for it. Until he cries. </p><p>His body rocks against Sehun’s hand, only a finger inside his body. He seems to act without thinking, each little twitch of his waist and every tremble along his spine completely instinctual. </p><p>“More,” Junmyeon says, attempting to command and missing wildly. “<i>More.</i>” </p><p>“Or what?” Sehun teases, and he slides his finger in and out again, teasing the tip of another against the wetness of Junmyeon’s body. “What will you do to me? Are you in a position to demand things of me?” </p><p>“I am <i>always</i> in a position to demand.” </p><p>“Is that so?” </p><p>“It is,” Junmyeon smiles, and he nods towards Sehun’s hand. “Fuck me like you mean it.” </p><p>“I do mean it,” Sehun whispers, and he crooks his finger, tracing with the pad of his finger more insistently. The effect is immediate, Junmyeon’s body curling like a bow as he seeks more, more. “I mean it more than you could ever know.” He pushes in, pulls out, pushes it in, pulls it out. “What’s more, I know exactly how to give you what you desire now.” </p><p>“Fuck me,” Junmyeon says brokenly. “Fuck me now, or I’ll ensure that they kill you.” </p><p>“I do love your empty threats,” Sehun whispers to him. “They almost sound like songs of devotion.” </p><p>Junmyeon grits his teeth, his jaw moving before Sehun slips another finger into him. His mouth falls open, and he moans, eyes squeezed shut, lost in it. <i>Yes</i>, Sehun thinks. <i>Let’s get lost in this labyrinth together.</i></p><p>He crooks his fingers, teasing against the spot that makes Junmyeon’s body roll like the ocean waves. He delights in the way he’s mastered Junmyeon’s body, guiding him towards his release like he’s playing the strings of an instrument. Junmyeon’s body goes hot, twisting as he curses Sehun, and nothing feels better than this, he thinks. He is on top of the world. </p><p>Junmyeon hooks his legs around Sehun’s body, closing him against Junmyeon with nowhere to run. Sehun smiles down at Junmyeon, oh, the love of his life, and he slips his fingers out of Junmyeon’s body, a hand stroking along Junmyeon’s cock. </p><p>“W-What are you so happy for?” Junmyeon whispers. “Don’t you know you’re going to die?” </p><p>“If I’m to die, then my last memories will be of this,” Sehun says. “Of your body yielding to mine.” </p><p>Junmyeon opens his mouth to argue, to say something terrible, Sehun is sure, so instead of listening to that, he pushes his cock inside, slipping beneath the surface as Junmyeon’s eyes squeeze shut, mouth hanging open stupidly. </p><p>“You’re evil,” Junmyeon says, mouth barely moving as Sehun withdraws almost entirely, just the head of his cock holding Junmyeon open. “You’re <i>cruel</i>.” </p><p>“From you, such acidic words almost taste sweet,” Sehun whispers, and he lays his body down onto Junmyeon’s, kissing him quiet as he thrusts back inside, bottoming out, lost at sea. </p><p>It is like so much collides together, moments of ecstasy through their time collapsing in on themselves as they meet again and again. He knows the way now, habitual and kind, the generous way Junmyeon gives and gives, takes and takes. There is only this, only their bodies and the magic of space and time that’s brought them together. </p><p>Sehun takes Junmyeon’s hips in his hands, pulls him onto his lap as he drives his hips forward, the raucous noise of love ringing in his ears. Distantly, he can hear Junmyeon’s sounds of pleasure, cries and moans and wails, but as he shuts his eyes, body working automatically, he is lost in the feeling of the ocean. Warm and welcoming. </p><p>When he takes a moment to collect his breath, he lays his body on Junmyeon’s, covering his face, his cheeks, his throat with kisses too hot to be contained. Gingerly, he rolls Junmyeon onto his front, and he takes Junmyeon’s hands in his, hugs them to Junmyeon’s chest. Tangled in the tightest of embraces, he fucks Junmyeon hard, an unyielding, unrelenting pace. The clutch of Junmyeon’s body is tight, impossibly warm, and he buries a moan at the back of Junmyeon’s neck, sucking a bruising kiss to the top of his spine. </p><p><i>Something to remember me</i>, Sehun thinks wildly, his hips hitting a steady rhythm. <i>When you touch it, you will think of the way I took you.</i> </p><p>They are so close together, Junmyeon’s back against Sehun’s chest, and it occurs to him that this could be the last time. The very last time. </p><p>Sehun puts the thought away, buries it deep down inside himself as he fucks Junmyeon, his body so sensitive that every little clench sends a spiral of desire threading through Sehun’s skin. It is so different, this coupling, the way Junmyeon sobs into the sheets beneath him, the way he begs and pleads for more. Sehun gives him everything he asks for, grants himself the same. </p><p>“Sehun,” Junmyeon says, voice shattering like glass, “<i>Sehun</i>, please.” </p><p>Sehun can feel the way he shakes, his body tense, a wall of water about to burst forth. Sehun hammers into him, eyes squeezed shut, the stars amidst an ocean of black as he spreads love over Junmyeon’s skin. The sounds of their bodies are unspeakable, lewd and <i>tempting</i>, beckoning him closer, closer. </p><p>Sehun breathes out harshly against Junmyeon’s skin, and he watches the fine hair at the back of Junmyeon’s neck stand. It is time, he thinks. Surely, there is no greater height than this. </p><p>He holds himself up on his elbows, and he presses a kiss to Junmyeon’s nape. </p><p>“Fuck yourself,” he orders, the words ghosting down Junmyeon’s spine. “Bring yourself pleasure. Take it as you see fit, my lord.” </p><p>A desperate, high-pitched sound echoes in the chambers as Junmyeon begins to rock himself back and forth, back onto Sehun’s cock, forward into the soft plush bed beneath him. He grinds slowly, sickly, and Sehun bites his lip to stop from crying out in pleasure. </p><p>“Come,” Sehun orders. “Make yourself come.” </p><p>Junmyeon works furiously, frustrated little sounds leaking out over the bed like the water that surrounds them, and Gods, Sehun could live forever in such a moment, watching Junmyeon move underneath him. But forever doesn’t exist for him, at least, not yet. </p><p>“I-I can’t,” Junmyeon whispers, “I can’t without you.” </p><p>Sehun lowers himself without another word, plastering their bodies together once more. He fucks Junmyeon wildly, without any concern for Junmyeon at all. He takes it all, the grand treasure of Junmyeon’s body, and he sinks his teeth into the muscle of Junmyeon’s shoulder. </p><p>He feels when Junmyeon spends, the grip on him impossibly tight, the water boiling and bubbling. Sehun breathes as Junmyeon writhes and whimpers, the orgasm long and overwhelming. </p><p>When Sehun comes, he holds Junmyeon tightly, the pleasure washing over him, making his skin tingle and his stomach drop. He shuts his eyes, lost in the connection. Adrift. Stars sparkle along his body, and he can feel the flames catching on the oil-slick water. <i>There is nothing more beautiful. Nothing more pure.</i> </p><p>He collapses to the side, and eventually, Junmyeon joins him. He turns over slowly, each movement of his form syrupy slow, ripe with exhaustion. </p><p>Junmyeon rests his head on Sehun’s chest, and Gods, nothing has ever felt better. It only serves to reinforce the idea that this is what he is meant to do. He wants this forever. Always. </p><p>He sighs out, content with the fact that he will not have this for a great long while. He tucks Junmyeon into the crook of his body, holding him tightly. He will take as much as he can. </p><p>The quiet leaks out over them, and Sehun shuts his eyes. </p><p>“Please,” Junmyeon whispers, “if you tell me now… I could tell them to cease. If you beg for a way out, I could let you live here the rest of your days. It would be so comfortable, my love.” </p><p>He opens his eyes, looking at the ceiling. It is a mosaic, a story of Junmyeon’s triumph over the giant squid to take control of the ocean. The tentacles are shimmery gold, the waves cerulean and navy, and Junmyeon’s face is beautiful even in stone. This picture, his origin. His beginning. </p><p><i>What might my mosaic look like</i>, Sehun wonders. </p><p>“Are you scared?” he asks, hand slipping along Junmyeon’s shoulder. </p><p>“<i>Scared?</i>” </p><p>“Scared of losing me?” Sehun asks. “Or perhaps scared that I will follow you to the ends of forever?” </p><p>“I have never feared a day in my life,” Junmyeon reminds him. </p><p>“That cannot be true,” Sehun whispers. “Anger is always born of fear.” </p><p>“And I’m so angry,” Junmyeon says, bemused. </p><p>“I have never seen a fury to match yours at the council meeting,” Sehun says happily. “What must that mean for your fear?” </p><p>Junmyeon lies there in silence for several moments, and Sehun holds him, growing in satisfaction as the seconds stack atop one another. He’s never won an argument so cleanly before, especially not with Junmyeon. </p><p>“I suppose I do fear forever with you,” Junmyeon says, pulled open, and Sehun looks down at him in surprise, shock. “I’ve never been with anyone so long. There is something very… <i>attractive</i> about loving someone knowing that you’ll be rid of them soon enough.” </p><p>“What a monstrous thing to think,” Sehun says. </p><p>“Perhaps I am a monster,” Junmyeon smiles. “We’re very different, you and I.” </p><p>“I don’t think we’re different. I think we are much the same.” </p><p>“Split souls?” Junmyeon teases. “Spirits meant to return to one another.” </p><p>“Is that such a silly thought?” </p><p>“If you’ve got to ask, I think you already know my answer.” Sehun makes a noise of disgust, closing his eyes. “Does that anger you? Do I upset you?” </p><p>“You don’t upset me,” Sehun says. “You disappoint me.” </p><p>“I would become accustomed to that feeling, then,” Junmyeon says. “There is much more waiting for you when you return to me in pieces.” </p><p>Sehun tires of that talk, self-defeating and mean-spirited. If anything, it makes him want to return that much more if only to prove Junmyeon wrong. <i>I am stronger than you know. I am worthy of this. Worthy of much more than you think.</i></p><p>The conversation ends there, the flickering of a flame with dying air, and Sehun lets himself relax into the bed, into the embrace that he shares with his lover.  </p><p>“I don’t want to lose you, but I’m afraid I must,” Junmyeon whispers, and Sehun smiles as he drifts to sleep. </p><p>He would never let anything tear them apart. Not now.<br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>The morning comes blue and gold, and Sehun pats the bed beside him to find it empty. He pushes himself up, well-rested and self-satisfied.</p><p>“Junmyeon?” he calls, but he gets no response, just the hollow sound of his voice ringing through the water. </p><p>He lifts himself up, sitting as the sheets pool around his waist. He is totally alone. He supposes he better get used to that. He will make his journeys alone. No one to comfort him. No one to console him. No one to make the nights less lonely. </p><p>Suddenly, there is a knock at the door. </p><p>“Enter,” he says quickly, and an attendant, a young woman, sticks her head in. </p><p>“S-Sir? Are you decent?”</p><p>Sehun pulls the covers onto his lap, and he nods his head. </p><p>“His grace told me to fetch you,” she says. “Correspondence from the mountain came in the night.” </p><p>She enters the room with her hands behind her back, the door open wide as she crosses to him. In her right hand, there is a yellow scroll, a rose of white wax sealing it closed. She passes it to him, left hand still behind her back. </p><p>“For me?” Sehun asks. </p><p>“For you, sir,” she says. “A-And from his grace.” </p><p>She holds out the other scroll with her left hand, and it is kissed with a seal of navy blue. </p><p>“Thank you,” Sehun says. “S-Shall I leave? Am I meant to leave now?” </p><p>“Food to break your fast will arrive momentarily,” the attendant smiles. “And a bag has been prepared for you.” </p><p>She points towards the corner of the room, and there is a satchel, leather straps secured with a silver buckle. It looks to be well-made, and it is full, though from where Sehun is sitting, he cannot speak to the contents. </p><p>“T-Thank you,” he says, and he bows his head towards the attendant. The attendant bows lowly before taking her leave. </p><p>Sehun doesn’t know which scroll to read first, but without Junmyeon here, he supposes he’d better save his letter for last. He gently slides his finger underneath the seal, unfurling the scroll. He imagined it would be dense with writing, but what he finds is a rather sparse page with just a few lines. </p><p>
  <i>Your first trial commences in the middle of the dark. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>I will fetch you. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>Meet me outside the castle gates. </i>
</p><p><i>Suho won’t allow me entry.</i> </p><p>For some silly reason, it brings a smile to Sehun’s face, doesn’t feel nearly as intimidating as it probably ought to. It feels like he’s being included in something that has always existed just barely beneath the surface, something that was out of reach. Something secret. Something twisting and labyrinthic. </p><p>How much will he discover about them upon completion of his trials? He can’t wait to find out. </p><p>He rolls up the scroll quickly, tossing it to the side in favor of Junmyeon’s letter. He unfastens the wax, reading the message that Junmyeon has left for him. </p><p>
  <i>I hope you are having a pleasant morning. The attendants will take care of you as you prepare for your first trial. There will be plenty of rations packed for you. Take as much as you can carry. I know not what lies ahead. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>I would stay with you, but I cannot bear to watch you walk to your own death. I cannot watch him put his hand on you, bringing you to the stars where you body will be laid to rest. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>In the event that you survive the first trial, swear that you will return to my arms, you foolish boy. My love shall be a gift bestowed upon you.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Stay with me through the darkest hours. </i>
</p><p><i>I won’t ask again.</i> </p><p>Sehun’s heart tries to split inside his body, desperate to sink into his stomach while simultaneously surging to sit in his throat. Junmyeon didn’t even stay to see him off? Still… the promise of returning to the kingdom, Junmyeon rewarding him for each success—that’s quite the incentive to stay alive. </p><p>Sehun relaxes for most of the day, making full use of the attendants. They fetch him anything he requests, whether it be freshly fried eggs, squares of toast, and various fruit jams, kebabs of roasted meat and vegetables, breaded and fried octopus with sweet and salty soy sauce, or red bean buns, cakes frosted in sugar cream, black tea sweetened with milk and honey. </p><p>He would like to indulge in a cup of Junmyeon’s strongest red wine, but before he knows it, the day has gotten away from him. He is full of the finest foods he’s ever had, dressed comfortably in the softest fabrics, and he has a pack full of supplies. There is nothing he cannot do. This, he has to be perfectly sure of. </p><p>He yearns for Junmyeon’s touch, just one last kiss, but when he steps out of the chambers, there is an attendant waiting for him. Not Junmyeon. </p><p>“I’ll guide you,” the woman smiles, and Sehun tries to smile back at her. </p><p>She brings him through the twisting halls, walking with an efficiency that Junmyeon didn’t. Sehun has to hurry to keep up even though the attendant is much shorter, with much shorter legs. </p><p>“My word, you get more fetching as each day passes to night,” Baekhyun says, a hand on his chest. </p><p>“I could say the same for you, your grace,” Sehun says, and he bows lowly. </p><p>“Oh, you flatterer,” Baekhyun says. “Rise.” </p><p>When Sehun stands up straight, Baekhyun is smiling at him, completely delighted, almost… <i>infatuated?</i> </p><p>Perhaps, this won’t be nearly as difficult as Junmyeon led him to believe. </p><p>“You look well prepared,” Baekhyun praises. “Good boy.” </p><p>“Thank you, your grace,” Sehun says with a smile. “Thank you for… for giving me the opportunity.” </p><p>Baekhyun waves his hand through the air as though he’s waving away smoke. </p><p>“Nonsense,” he says. “Truthfully, we are bound by honor to grant immortality to any mortal who proves themself worthy.” He tilts his head to the side, wrinkling his nose cutely. “And aren’t you just the most precious and worthy of all the mortals?” </p><p>Surely, Sehun has nothing to worry about. He stands up a little straighter, tilting his jaw down, setting it in a way that he knows Junmyeon likes. Baekhyun’s eyes go dark as they connect. </p><p>“Shall we away?” Baekhyun asks quietly, and he offers Sehun his hand. “Close your eyes. It tends to make mortals sick if they don’t.” </p><p>Sehun shuts his eyes and reaches out blindly in the dark, but when he clasps hands with Baekhyun, oh, the light…</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hello my friends!!!! this three part trial will update M-W-F. from there, each trial will be split into three chapters and will update on that schedule (once i'm finished or nearly finished with each trial). it'll probably be like,,,, every two weeks? if that makes sense? i dont know. it depends on how quickly i can write but normally im pretty fast if i have a schedule. </p><p>if u dont follow me on twitter, this will be brand new information. if u do follow me on twitter, u will feel like a really cool, really smart, well-informed-about-the-state-of-this-fic individual. so. pretty good stuff imo to follow me on twitter. </p><p>anyway. i hope you enjoyed this first part. part two will be up on wednesday, part three on friday. let me know if u enjoyed hehe, it helps give me writer energy. </p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/okamiwind">my twitter</a> | <a href="https://curiouscat.me/okamiwind">my curiouscat</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. the search for the glimmerstone, part two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Sehun opens his eyes, he is standing on a balcony. It is immediately familiar to him, and when he looks over the edge, he realizes that they are standing at the very top of the mountain, raised high up above it all. He steps forward, hands braced on the white stone railing, and he looks down at the bustling towns sprawling out from the foot of the mountain. </p><p>The world goes on forever and ever, and he has only ever seen such a small part of it. </p><p>“Welcome back,” Baekhyun says. “Isn’t it so much nicer here?” Sehun looks back at him as he dramatically inhales and exhales. “I can finally breathe.” </p><p>“It is very pleasant here, your grace,” Sehun says, and a handsome blush streaks across Baekhyun’s face. </p><p>“You’re sweet,” Baekhyun whispers. “If only I’d found you first.” He sighs dramatically, wheeling around to walk to the opposite side of the balcony. His robes, long and golden, trail behind him slowly.</p><p>Sehun turns back to the view, letting his eyes drift over the melting sky. The blues and purples of night mix with black, sparkling white, and it makes him think of Junmyeon. The ocean. He will return. He will receive the gift of his love. </p><p>“I suppose you’ll want to hear of your task,” Baekhyun says casually, and Sehun turns quickly. </p><p>He is standing there, leaning back against a column. He is extraordinary, glowing even in the dark. How different might his life be if Baekhyun had found him first? He shakes the thought away. There’s no time for getting distracted by a pretty face or immeasurable power. </p><p>“Yes, your grace.” </p><p>“Have you heard tales about the glimmerstone?” Baekhyun asks sweetly, tilting his head to the side.</p><p>“Of course,” Sehun says, squinting. There is no child in the land who has not heard of the diamond of the dark. </p><p>“Then you know it was lost one thousand years ago,” Baekhyun smiles. “Long ago. Long, <i>long</i> ago.” </p><p>“Yes.” </p><p>Baekhyun smiles. “So you must know what I’ll ask of you now.” </p><p>“F-Find the glimmerstone?” Sehun asks, and he stands up straighter, fearful. “The diamond of the dark? B-But so many have tried, and so many—” </p><p>“Have failed,” Baekhyun says. “Yes, you are most correct.” He looks Sehun up and down. “You look well prepared. You look spry. Clever. I believe you can handle the task.”  </p><p>Sehun’s stomach sinks. Junmyeon was right all along. They will not spare him simply because they are in love. If anything, they will make things more difficult for him. His first step towards immortality, his very first task… and it is an impossible one.</p><p>“Oh, don’t look so down,” Baekhyun says, and steps forward, clapping Sehun on the shoulder as they look out over the balcony. “If you change your mind now, you could always stay here with me.” Sehun looks at him, brow furrowed. Still, Baekhyun reaches out, brushing his hand along Sehun’s face. “You would be held among the highest of my sacred ones.” </p><p>Sehun looks away, and Baekhyun’s hand falls. </p><p>“I am flattered,” Sehun says. </p><p>“Not so flattered to accept,” Baekhyun says. “Your heart truly belongs to him?” </p><p>“I’m afraid so.” </p><p>“What a pity,” Baekhyun says. “You would have done well here with me.” </p><p>Sehun feels so weightless, standing here at Baekhyun’s side. Has he already become so accustomed to them that he no longer fears them? </p><p>“What are my chances?” Sehun asks. “Chances of making it out alive?” </p><p>“Oh, slim to none, I figure,” Baekhyun asks. “Perhaps you’ll spend a lifetime on this alone.” </p><p>“Thank you for the reassuring words, your grace.” </p><p>“So serious and sullen!” Baekhyun says, and he shoves his shoulder into Sehun’s. “This is why Suho must have been so cross with you. Always wanting more.” </p><p>“Imagine yourself in my place,” Sehun says. “Imagine that you’d fallen for someone who was so high above you. Wouldn’t you want, with all your heart, to raise yourself to their level? To become someone worthy of loving them?” </p><p>Baekhyun stares at Sehun, and Sehun sees stars in Baekhyun’s eyes. </p><p>“And is he worthy of you?” Baekhyun asks. </p><p>“You think so lowly of him?” </p><p>“No,” Baekhyun says. “Only highly of you.” </p><p>Sehun rolls his eyes. “Legends of your charm precede you.” </p><p>“Lucky for you, then,” Baekhyun whispers, raising a brow tauntingly. “I’m sure you’ll be able to resist.” </p><p>Sehun backs away from Baekhyun, listening to the music of his sigh. </p><p>“Your confidence is inspiring,” Sehun says. </p><p>“I thank you,” Baekhyun says. “Though I wonder if the confidence will be beneficial to you in such a trial.” </p><p>He smiles, thinking back to the words Junmyeon spoke to him. He seemed so sure of Sehun’s demise. It was a sentence to death. Something about Baekhyun, though, something about the way he speaks to Sehun makes him feel like maybe he <i>will</i> become legend. Maybe he will find the glimmerstone, return it to its rightful owner, and complete the first trial with ease. </p><p>“Thank you,” Sehun says, and he bows before Baekhyun. “I will see the diamond of the dark back into your hands.” </p><p>Baekhyun looks him over, a soft smile on his face. </p><p>“Word of advice since it is your first task, and I’ve such a soft heart when it comes to you,” Baekhyun says. “Find the architect.” </p><p>“The architect?” </p><p>“He is a bookkeeper at the grand library,” Baekhyun says. “He is old now, nearing the end of his long, long life. I suggest you find him and take advantage of his knowledge.” Baekhyun stares out over the horizon with a beautiful smile spread across his lips. “Who <i>knows</i> when that knowledge might disappear from the world entirely?” </p><p>Something slides into place, clicking inside his body. If he means to triumph over these tasks, he must give his all. He must give everything he has, blood and bone and brutal ambition. He turns from Baekhyun’s balcony, because as much as he’d like to stay and live in comfort, he’s got more important things waiting for him. He’s got Junmyeon and the song of forever. </p><p>Shall it become a duet, he wonders. </p><p>His descent from the mountain leaves him dizzy, and it takes the better part of the evening. It is a well-lit path, though, white steel braziers filled with aromatic rose, lavender, and orange peel that burn and keep the night bright. </p><p>By the time he makes it back to the foot of the mountain, he turns back to behold the sun rising behind it, lining the edges of her with golden light. It is beautiful, something he tries to commit to memory just so he can take it back to Junmyeon. </p><p>People rush past him on their way up the mountain to make their audiences, and Sehun hurries to get out of their way, weaving through them as he tries to make his way through to the town. </p><p>The roads are soft stone, and Sehun marvels at them. He’s never seen roads so pristine, so neatly made. He is so far from home. Things are so different. </p><p>After a fair bit of wandering through the streets, seeing merchants shout about their wares, the children laughing as they run from place to place, Sehun happens across an inn, stumbling inside. He finds a woman standing behind the bar, wiping a glass clean with a cloth. </p><p>“Pardon, ma’am,” Sehun says, and he bows his head to her, “do you know of the architect?” </p><p>The woman looks him over for a moment, and Sehun stands up tall. He’s stood inspection for gods, he reminds himself. She is not so scary. </p><p>“The architect?” she asks, and she cocks her hip to the side. “Course I do.” </p><p>“Might I know where to find him?” </p><p>“You won’t find him in the morning,” she smiles, the ice chipping away from her. “He works during the nights. Less people happening through the library, I think.” </p><p>“It is open through the night?” </p><p>“It is always open, sir,” the woman says. “Of course it is.” </p><p>Sehun supposes his naïveté is showing. The world is so much bigger than he imagined it could be. </p><p>“Rest here for the evening, good sir,” the lady smiles. “Warm bed, good food. I promise, you’ve not had a fried duck sandwich until you’ve tried ours!” </p><p>Sehun smiles at her enthusiasm, something to remind him of the girls back home, working in the shops or the kitchens, selling their wares or pouring a drink. </p><p>“A-All right,” Sehun says. “A bed, then.” </p><p>“And a sandwich?” she asks. “You look as though you’ve been traveling all night. You must be completely famished.” </p><p>“I’ve come from the mountain,” he says, raising his brows. “Very important business.” </p><p>He jokes, but her eyes go wide. “Really?” </p><p>“Oh, I was only—”</p><p>“Sandwich on the house. After you’ve rested, of course,” she says, and she pushes him off towards the staircase, shoving a key into his hand. “I’ll collect your money at the end of your stay.” </p><p>“How do you know I have it?” Sehun laughs. </p><p>“If you’ve been to the mountain, you’re either in a terrible state or you are friendly with a sacred one,” she says. “Perhaps both?” </p><p>“I’m not in a terrible state,” Sehun promises. </p><p>“Then you’re easily the most important person I’ve ever met,” the girl says cheerfully, nudging him up the stairs. “Baths are on the first floor if you’d care for one! Rest your weary feet, traveler! The road is long behind, but even longer ahead!” </p><p>Sehun blinks to himself as he moves to the fourth door of the inn. She doesn't know how right she is. </p><p>He goes into his room, the morning sun creeping through the window and their barely-there curtains, and he looks around. It is a simple room, simple wooden furniture and simple white bedding, but there is something about it that reminds him of home, even so far away. It’s hard to tell exactly how far he is. Hard to contemplate the distance. </p><p>He hopes his father’s well. His brother. His dog. </p><p>It is still quite light outside when he lies down in bed, but it is the quiet sort of morning light, the world still waking slowly. It is nowhere near the softest bed he’s ever laid upon, of course, but he has had his standards shifted upwards since he met Junmyeon. Since they fell in love. </p><p>Sleep finds him easily, and he rests until the middle of the evening, the noise of the tavern downstairs jarring him from sleep. He heads down with his bag, and he wanders through the crowds of people towards the baths. It is empty, and he slips from his clothes, parting the waters and sinking into the warmth. </p><p>It has always been a comforting feeling, of course, but now… now, it reminds him of Junmyeon. Their intimacy, their love, the way they’ve written rules for a game for two. Does Junmyeon think of him now? Does he wish to hold Sehun in his arms? </p><p>Certainly the journey would be more pleasant with someone beside him. Someone to warm his bed. He smiles, slipping under the surface of the water to wet his hair. </p><p>Once he is freshly washed, smelling sweetly of the local scented oils, the fresh, floral scents of rose and gardenia, he goes to the tavern, sitting at one of the tables. The girl from earlier in the day traipses back to his table, grinning at him as she pats her robes down flat. </p><p>“Well, don’t you look a sight for sore eyes?” she says happily. “Sleep did you well, didn’t it?” </p><p>“It did,” Sehun says. “Now perhaps one of those sandwiches before I’m on my way.” </p><p>“Coming up,” she says, and she sticks out her hand for a shake. “Jinnie.” </p><p>“It is a pleasure to meet you, my lady,” Sehun says, shaking it dutifully. </p><p>“Oh, I’m no lady,” Jinnie flushes. </p><p>“Sure you are,” Sehun says. “You look as pretty as one.” </p><p>“Where’d you come from, hm?” Jinnie asks, tilting her head to the side. “Come to torment me with your lovely eyes and smile?” </p><p>“Now you flatter me!” </p><p>“I’ll be back in a moment with your meal,” Jinnie says, “before you try and get me into any more trouble.” </p><p>“I’m not trouble, I promise,” Sehun says. </p><p>“No offense, sir, but I know trouble when I see it,” she says. “You’ve got trouble sitting along your shoulders like a <i>cloak</i>.” </p><p>She whirls away, and Sehun wonders whether or not she can see through him, see his tasks weighing him down. </p><p>True enough, the sandwich is as delicious as Jinnie says. The bread is crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, spread with honey, molasses, and chili paste. The duck is moist, spiced well, and there is a side of curried rice with plenty of onion and garlic, a chutney of some fruit that Sehun’s never seen before. He eats slowly so as to savor the meal. After all, they were right. His next meals aren’t guaranteed to be of quality. </p><p>Jinnie smiles over him, pouring his glass full of wine. </p><p>“I told you,” she says. “The best duck sandwich you’ve ever had.” </p><p>“That’s certainly true,” Sehun says. “I, uh, I should be going though. As you said, the road is long behind.” </p><p>“You don’t look as though you want to leave,” Jinnie says. “Dragging your feet for some reason?”  </p><p>He looks her up and down. She is a pretty woman, though looks aren’t everything. Who knows if she could be trusted with a secret? He’s only just met her… still, she’s quite kind, in Sehun’s opinion. </p><p>“Are you staring at me for any reason in particular?” she squints, hands braced on the chair opposite Sehun’s. </p><p>“Can I confide in you?” Sehun asks. </p><p>She looks around, the busy tavern. “I suppose.” </p><p>“I have been given an impossible task,” Sehun says. </p><p>Jinnie raises one of her eyebrows, staring at Sehun quizzically. </p><p>“An impossible task, you say?” Jinnie asks, and she sits down in the chair in front of her, smiling at Sehun. “You’ve piqued my interest.” </p><p>“Well, I’m not sure how much I can say about the matter,” Sehun says, folding his hands in his lap. </p><p>“Then why bring it up?” Jinnie asks, resting her elbows on the table. “You <i>are</i> a temptation.” </p><p>“No, no, I just—”</p><p>“Does it have anything to do with the architect?” Jinnie asks, squinting. “Are you in search of the glimmerstone?” </p><p>“H-How did you know?” Sehun asks. </p><p>Jinnie throws her head back and laughs heartily before taking Sehun’s wine glass and stealing a sip for herself. </p><p>“Every day, we get at least three or four travelers, treasure hunters, men with wide eyes… they all pass through here looking for the glimmerstone,” Jinnie says. “You’re the first with a lead, though. Clever boy.” </p><p><i>Not so clever</i>, Sehun thinks, conjuring the image of Baekhyun in his mind. <i>Perhaps just charming.</i></p><p><i>Is charm just as important as cleverness?</i> </p><p>“If you know about the architect then why haven’t you gone searching for it?” Sehun asks. “Why hasn’t anyone in the town?” </p><p>“Because we’re not fools,” she laughs. “Even with the information from the architect, no one could ever find the diamond of the dark. Want to know why?” Sehun eagerly shakes his head <i>yes</i>. “Because she doesn’t want to be found. And a woman who doesn’t want to be found never will be.” </p><p>Sehun’s heart sinks in his chest. This will be harder than he thought. </p><p>“Why do you look as though you’ve seen a ghost?” Jinnie asks. “Has Luha—”</p><p>“Don’t,” Sehun says. “I’m all right, I just… well, it isn’t important. I’ve got to be off.” </p><p>“So soon?” Jinnie asks, and Sehun stands from the table, slinging his bag over his shoulder. </p><p>“I’m afraid so,” Sehun says. </p><p>He opens his bag, placing a few silver coins on the table for Jinnie. She stares wide-eyed at them for several seconds before turning that look of shock on Sehun. </p><p>“Who <i>are</i> you?” Jinnie asks. </p><p>“No one,” Sehun says with a smile, thinking <i>yet.</i></p><p>He makes his way through the town as the night settles over like a blanket of black. The streets are empty and quiet, still in the evening, and it settles Sehun’s stomach. Just because it hasn’t been done before doesn’t mean it never will be done. There is always room for the first of its kind. And he’s always wanted, <i>desperately</i> wanted to be special. </p><p>After all is said and done, he thinks to himself, after the war is won… he will return to Jinnie and show her the diamond. He will thank her for her kindness, and he will repay it. It is a pleasant thing to think, and it keeps him company as he journeys along.</p><p>The city sprawls like mad, and Sehun tries not to lose sight of the great building in the distance, the grand library that looks almost like a temple from home but even larger, more extravagant. Every time he thinks he might be losing his way, he tilts his head up, searching the horizon line for the great braziers at either side of the library’s entrance, red beacons in the night that call his name.</p><p>His sandals make soft slapping sounds against the stone roads, and he keeps himself centered by reminding himself that he is stronger than he knows, that he is more capable than anyone figures him to be. He will succeed in his task. He will do the impossible. He will find the glimmerstone, and he will go back to Junmyeon’s arms a hero.</p><p>It takes a while to traverse the city, but it is worth the time and energy when he stands at the foot of the stairs that lead to the library. It is a marvel, unlike anything Sehun’s ever seen before. It is massive, shining brightly even in the night thanks to the pure white stone that it is built from. Columns line the facade, and when he gets close enough to the braziers, he feels the fire streak across his face. </p><p>It is dim and empty when he takes his first steps inside, and it takes a moment for his eyes to adjust before he realizes just how incomparable the grand library is. It shines in the candlelight, the white going orange and yellow, dancing between hues.</p><p>The library is a maze of bookshelves, and Sehun looks around, hoping to find a desk, a forgotten room where the architect might be. Instead, he finds nothing but row after row of shelves, each cramped with the amount of text that they bear. He trails his fingers along the dusty spines, and he walks lightly through the stacks, trying to keep his footsteps quiet and dignified. </p><p>As near as Sehun can tell, he is totally alone within the library. In all his wandering, he doesn’t find a single soul. He looks down each corridor, examines every dead end, hoping to find the architect lurking in the corner. </p><p>Just as he’s about to give up hope, just as he’s about to turn around and follow the way he came to find another lead, he comes across a clearing in all the madness. There are dozens of elegantly carved wooden tables, and it smells richly of wood. Flickering oil lamps light the night, and Sehun steps forward carefully, dancing around haphazard stacks of books sitting next to rolling carts. </p><p>Sitting under a stained glass dome in the ceiling, there is a hooded man. His cloak is deep scarlet red, and though he is facing Sehun’s direction and he can surely hear Sehun approach, he does not raise his head, does not even flinch at the sound. </p><p>There are various texts upon the table’s surface, but they are laid out as though they each serve a purpose, each being studied for a particular reason. Sehun spies a magnifying glass, thin transparent sheets, hand-marbled papers… perhaps he is studying book-binding? </p><p>Sehun approaches with caution, the man’s hood bathing his face in shadow. </p><p>He clears his throat gently, but the man does not look up. Sehun supposes he will have to be a bit more aggressive. </p><p>“Are you the architect?” Sehun asks, the sound echoing in the chamber. </p><p>Slowly, almost painfully slow, the man raises his head and nods. Sehun tries to search the dark for a face, but all he finds is shadow, the shadows of their shadows. </p><p>“I’m here to learn of the diamond of the dark,” Sehun says. “Please, learned sir, tell me everything you can about it.” </p><p>The man stands, turns, and walks away, his cloak moves as though on its own. He leaves Sehun in his wake as he exits the reading room. Sehun hurriedly follows after him, leading through the halls of the grand library. There are thick tomes that smell of lignin, the scent of trees, glue, and the slightest hint of vanilla. Sehun breathes in deeply as he follows through the halls built of bookcases. Leather bound books dressed in deep reds, blues, greens, and golds pass him by, and Sehun looks back to the librarian, the red cloak dancing as he goes. </p><p>“What is your name?” Sehun asks. “J-Just the architect?” </p><p>But he receives no response, only has to hasten his steps so that he can keep up. </p><p>“The book you seek is just there,” the architect says, and his voice is naught but a hiss, hand withered and grey as he sticks out his finger to stroke along the spine. </p><p>“T-Thank you,” Sehun says, and he hurriedly grabs for the book once the librarian has gone, leaving him to his devices.  </p><p><i>Godly Artifacts of the Forgotten World</i>, it’s called, embossed with gold across the black cover. </p><p>He folds himself on the tile floor of the library, legs tucked as he cracks open the book. It is covered with dust, and a few wood-boring beetles have died within the pages. Sehun frowns, brushing them away as he begins to scan through. </p><p>There are many interesting things included in the text, things like the Northern Scroll, the Shadow’s Shield, the cloth doll that was once said to live and breathe whenever an adept hand wielded her.  </p><p>Hurrying along, Sehun searches through the pages until he sees a well-rendered picture of Baekhyun, the portrait surrounded in a wreath of white roses. </p><p>
  <i>The glimmerstone, sometimes referred to as the diamond of the dark by common-folk, was once born to the sun god. When his heart filled with the labors of love, he coughed the glimmerstone out, a sparkling gem of yellow light, roughly cut and as large as a cherry. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>It granted an already powerful deity the only power that eluded him, the ability to control the exact opposite of what had been as natural to him as breathing: darkness itself. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>When he put the glimmerstone in the royal diadem, a crown of woven silver and gold, the sun god was able to bring the day and the night whenever he saw fit. He could lighten the world, and he could darken it too. A power supreme, a power to control all others. And with light and dark came the chaos. The glimmerstone was too beautiful, too coveted, and the light god was frivolous with her. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>For the sun god fell in love, and he treated his sacred one as though they were more powerful than anything else. And he god was foolish. He was uncareful. And it was his downfall. Stealing away in the middle of the night, the sun god still asleep in his bed, the sacred one took the royal diadem, studded with the glimmerstone, and they left without another word. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>The light god awoke to a changed world, a new world, a world without the love of his endless life. The betrayal was acidic and cruel, and it is said that his guttural cry of pain split the sky in half, painting the clouds across the clear blue world. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>Without the glimmerstone, without the sacred one, the sun god thought he had no choice. He plunged the world into the dark for an entire year, hoping that in all that darkness, he would be able to see the diamond of the dark illuminate some forgotten corner, uniting the pair once more. Babes in arms learned to crawl, lovers fell to their beds, the world moved without light. And even so, the sacred one never showed their face, never let the glimmerstone sparkle. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>At the behest of the council of the gods, the light god spit the sun back into the sky, and the year of night was over. The diamond of the dark remains lost, though it is rumored to still rest in the hands of the sacred one to this day, the long lost love of the light god himself.</i>
</p><p>Sehun closes the tome, and it breathes dust into the air. He swings his hand through the air, trying to clear some of it away. </p><p>It was certainly enlightening, but Sehun doesn’t feel any closer to the glimmerstone. </p><p>He thinks back to what Baekhyun said. </p><p><i>Find the architect.</i> </p><p>Sehun looks back down the hall, and he finds himself completely alone. Tracing his way back to the reading room, he finds the architect once again sitting at his table, laboring over his papers. </p><p>“Learned sir,” Sehun says. “What information do you have about the glimmerstone?” </p><p>“I have shown you the text,” the architect whispers. </p><p>“I need whatever information <i>you</i> have,” Sehun says. “Please… it is important that I retrieve the stone.” </p><p>The architect goes quiet, and he stands from the table. He reaches up to adjust the hood of his cloak, and for a moment, Sehun thinks he might peel it back to reveal his face. Terror seizes through him, and he puts an arm of distance between their bodies. </p><p><i>Will that save me now</i>, he wonders. <i>Have I acted recklessly?</i> </p><p>“Do you know why I am named <i>architect</i>?” he asks, voice hissing out from beneath the hood.  </p><p>“No, sir,” Sehun says. “Why?” </p><p>“Five hundred and sixty three years ago, I would try to give magic to the common folk,” the architect whispers. “I lusted for the power, for <i>wealth</i>, and so I sold the knowledge to the highest bidder.” He smiles, and that… that’s the first of his face that Sehun sees. His horrible, sharp smile. “Kings were no longer kings. They could rival the gods themselves.” </p><p>“A-And then?” Sehun asks. “What happened then?” </p><p>“The war to end the kings,” the architect says, the smile falling away like sand through a glass. “And so it became that every kingdom fell, and with their fall, the magic died with them.” </p><p>“But you still know,” Sehun whispers. “You know the secrets of the magic.” </p><p>“And I am cursed to keep the knowledge to myself.” </p><p>“Why?” </p><p>“If I utter the words, my thread is cut,” the architect whispers, and his smile is wry. “But the gods are merciful. I am allowed to keep my life for as long as this body will sustain me… searching for knowledge. Consuming all that I can before my heart gives out.” </p><p>He wants to reach out and pull the hood away from his face, see what lurks beneath. Pale, shriveled skin, red eyes… his imagination is often crueler than even reality. </p><p>“T-Tell me of the glimmerstone,” Sehun says, beginning to feel the creep of time along his shoulders. How long has he been here? He can’t be sure. “Tell me where they went with it.” </p><p>“They are long gone,” the architect says. “Stolen away in the middle of the night. Didn’t you read the text well?” </p><p>“I read it, but—” </p><p>“There is nothing to find,” the architect says, and poison spills from his mouth. “The bastard god will die before he touches the glimmerstone again.”  </p><p>“I-I am seeking it to destroy it,” Sehun lies suddenly, practically falling out of his mouth. “H-He is my enemy.” </p><p>The architect takes a step backwards, and Sehun feels exposed in the worst sort of way. </p><p>“I have no reason to trust you,” the architect says. “The knowledge of their whereabouts dies with me.” </p><p>“I am in love with the water god,” Sehun confesses. “A-And it is his deepest desire to end the light god, once and for all.” Sehun worries his hands, twisting them back and forth. “I-If I cannot destroy the glimmerstone, I surely will die at the light god’s hands.” </p><p><i>Does he believe it,</i> Sehun wonders, staring into the chasm of darkness. <i>Is it believable enough?</i> </p><p>The architect pulls the hood away from his face, and Sehun is immediately repulsed. His skin is moldy and grey, his eyes nothing more than empty holes. Sehun swallows to keep the sickness down, and he steps back from the architect, the sight of his bare face, what’s <i>left of it</i>, all but devastating. </p><p>“Don’t lie to me, boy,” the architect whispers. “I have faced death so many times that it doesn’t scare me any longer.” </p><p>“I swear it,” Sehun says. “I <i>swear.</i>” </p><p>The architect pulls his hood back up, and the vision is gone, once again bathed in black. Sehun breathes out, relieved. </p><p>“The deepest parts of Argrania,” the architect says. “You will find them there. They hide with the diamond, clutching it close to their chest. It is so thick, so dense with magic that even the light god cannot find them there.”   </p><p>Sehun’s heart leaps inside his body.  </p><p>“Thank you,” Sehun whispers, and he bows lowly in front of the architect before taking his leave, before anything bad can happen to him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>whew just finished up part 3 today ;~; i hope you all like it, even tho its like totally insane and silly kljasdlkjg im trying to keep these short and not keep things dragging on, but u know me.... love to drag things on forever like a crazy person lkajsdkl </p><p>anyway, i hope this update finds you well! i have been having fun writing even tho it sometimes makes me feel like i should be pulling my hair out instead ;~; let me know if u liked it~!!! leave me comments or ask me questions or what have u!!!! have a good week! see u guys friday for the last part of the first trial ;~; </p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/okamiwind">my twitter</a> | <a href="https://curiouscat.me/okamiwind">my curiouscat</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. the search for the glimmerstone, part three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>please note the added warning! there will be violence in this and upcoming chapters (as i'm sure you probably anticipated) so proceed with caution if that is triggering for you.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Argrania rests along the far western edge of Baekhyun’s kingdom, and Sehun takes every available helping hand to make haste towards the billowing plains. He rides towards the limits of the mountain city atop a lovely red roan horse, calm in demeanor and easy to coax forward. He pats her as they journey, and they stop only when strictly necessary. He has no idea how much time he’ll need. He doesn’t even know if they’ll still be there. </p><p>When they reach the limits of the mountain’s city, he passes through the sub-cities, each less and less rich as they stray closer from the light upon the mount. Eventually, he is in the rural stretch between the mountain and the western border, cities like Argrania and Lightshire and Raybridge left to guard the territory. It reminds him of home, the tiny communities lined along waterways and tributaries. He passes shrines, each small like the one he journeyed to when he was young, when he was falling all over himself to pray at Junmyeon’s feet. </p><p>He smiles to himself. A happy memory.</p><p>The journey is pleasant, the weather very fair, and Sehun enjoys it quite a bit. He’d never thought himself much of a traveler before, but he supposes that was only because he’d never had the chance. </p><p><i>You better like it</i>, he tells himself, the fires crackling as Juliet grazes beside him. <i>You’ve got a rather lot of it in your future.</i><br/>
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<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> ☵ </p>
</div><p>There is a story about the way Argrania was formed, one that Sehun had almost forgotten. They said that when Baekhyun was born, he was found wriggling in the soft, unpacked ground. The Father Above had tried to pull him from the earth, but Baekhyun reached out and grabbed fistfuls of the dirt to hold himself still.</p><p>With that, the grains sprouted up like wildfire, bright gold and wavering in the summer sun. The Father Above was so delighted that he named Baekhyun lord of the lands, even as new to the world as he was. </p><p>It takes him a while to get where he’s going, but he doesn’t run into any sort of trouble, and Sehun thinks that must be because he is <i>meant</i> to do this. <i>Meant</i> to become one of them. Surely, if he wasn’t chosen, then it would be more complicated. </p><p>Wouldn’t it? </p><p>He reaches Argrania within the fortnight, and he is shocked by the way it shines. The fields are bountiful, and there are harvesters working with wide brim hats, baskets in their arms. The buildings are tall and strong, and Sehun assumes they must be a rich city, though he can’t say if it is because they house the glimmerstone or not. </p><p>If Baekhyun knew it was here, if he had any inkling at all… Argrania would be nothing but dust by now. </p><p>Sehun stables Juliet, and there is a larger, more populated building nearby. He wanders in, people milling about. He looks around, looking for someone to speak to. Everyone is wearing pants, light shirts that billow in the breeze. He does not look like he belongs. He hopes they won’t mind. </p><p>The couple at the counter seem friendly, and Sehun approaches with a smile. </p><p>“You’re not from around here, are you?” the man asks, looking at Sehun’s clothes. </p><p>“No, I’m afraid not,” Sehun says. “I’ve been looking for a place to stay.” </p><p>“Lucky for you,” the woman chimes. “You’ve found the inn.” </p><p>“Wonderful,” Sehun smiles. “M-May I ask a few questions? I’m in a bit of a hurry.” </p><p>“Surely,” the woman says. “Would you like to get more comfortable first? A bath? A drink, perhaps? There’s a lovely honey wine this time of year.” </p><p>Sehun thinks it over. He’s been trying to be quick about it, but he supposes one luxurious bath and one glass of wine won’t hurt him any. </p><p>He lets the lady drag him over to the bathhouse, and by the time he slips into the water, he is reminded of how strongly he misses Junmyeon’s comforts. The warmth of him, the magnificence and splendor… they’ve not spent months or years together, and still, Sehun feels as though he’s known him for a lifetime, for multiple lifetimes, strung back to back and fastened together. </p><p>He slips under the water, running his fingers through his hair, and he thinks of Junmyeon’s hands, his heart, the way he runs so hot. If he could warm his bed with Junmyeon again, he thinks he’d give anything necessary. Anything besides this desire to hold onto him forever.  </p><p>He rubs himself clean, feeling better than he has in quite a while. Journeying is not all it’s cracked up to be, of course. He doesn’t mind it, but he certainly doesn’t mind a warm bath and a warm bed either. </p><p>Sehun wraps himself in the towel when the lady happens in, arms full and eyes on his stomach before she quickly averts her gaze. </p><p>“Here,” she says, and she quickly lays her holdings on the bench next to her. “Some clothes so you might feel more comfortable.” </p><p>“Thank you,” Sehun says, and he bows slightly. “A-And might I join you for that drink?” </p><p>He watches her eyes go wide as she scurries from the room, and he feels rather proud of himself. </p><p>“Come to the terrace,” she calls. “We will have your glass there, traveler.” </p><p>In truth, he manages to find comfort wherever he goes.<br/>
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</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> ☵ </p>
</div><p>The terrace on the second level of the inn is beautiful, and it overlooks the city as the sun sets, bathing the whole of Argrania in the loveliest palette. Sehun sits beside the couple of the house, drinking a sweet red wine and observing.</p><p>“So you’re say you’re from—” </p><p>“Riverside,” Sehun says. “It’s small.” </p><p>“Near anything we’d know?” the lady asks, leaning forward in her seat. </p><p>“It’s rather close to the sea kingdom, if you’d believe it,” Sehun says. “Only a day’s journey north from there.” </p><p>“So you’re near the ocean then!” the man says. “I’ve always wanted to see the ocean.” </p><p>“It is quite a lovely sight,” Sehun says. “You must see it at least once.” </p><p>“And you’ve been to the sea kingdom?” The lady takes a sip from her cup. “Is it as wonderful as they say?” </p><p>“Better, perhaps.” </p><p>The lady sighs, looks to the man as though she is pleading. </p><p>“You’ve always promised,” she says. </p><p>“Perhaps next time we get more than a few days to ourselves,” he says. “It is difficult work, running an inn.” </p><p>“Not much off time,” she complains. </p><p>Sehun nods. He’s never run an inn, of course, but there aren’t many days off from fishing. Most are due to storms, and then, it’s not much fun to be out of the house. </p><p>He turns, staring off into the distance, and then, his eyes move against his will. He refocuses, trying to force his gaze upon it. And <i>oh</i>, it’s magnificent and terrifying. Storm clouds along the edge of the world, billowing and purple-black. He has to hold himself very still so that he can stare at it, all his strength diverted towards keeping his eyes from moving. </p><p>“What’s there,” Sehun points, “along the horizon?” </p><p>He directs their attention to the place at the center of the fields. Whenever he directs his eyes to rest upon that place, he wants to move away, move along. <i>What strange magic,</i> he wonders. <i>Is this the deepest place?</i> </p><p>They look at Sehun with confusion, as though Sehun is speaking madness. </p><p>“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the man says, and he turns to his wife. “You any idea?” </p><p>“Not a clue,” she says. “I suggest a warm bed and a glass of wine. Calm your head.” </p><p>Sehun frowns. They are blind to it. He must be away before he gets stuck here, before his eyes get used to being tricked. Before it all feels a bit too comfortable. </p><p>He pays them handsomely, silver pieces into their open hands, and they smile and bow at him as if he is the most generous man alive. <i>Worry not</i>, he thinks cheerfully. <i>When all is said and done, I will repay your kindness with much more than silver or gold.</i></p><p>He walks towards the edge of the city, not sparing another thought for what might be waiting at the other end. Something dangerous? A monster? A curse? Sehun has no idea. He is risking life and limb, and he does not know what awaits him. No one does. </p><p>He swallows all his fear, letting it slip down the back of his throat as he approaches. He lets himself use Junmyeon’s image as a boost to his morale. </p><p><i>I will see it done so that I might be with you forever.</i> </p><p>The forest is not at all what Sehun had imagined, his mind conjuring pictures of tall strong oaks, blackwoods, and pines, a cloud of magic to drape the wood in darkness. Those billowing clouds… where did they go? Instead of walking headfirst into a storm, he wanders into a field of grain, shimmering gold and waving in the wind. Sehun looks around, confused. This could not be where the diamond of the dark, the treasure long lost to the world, stayed for hundreds of years. Not here. </p><p>Still, he had no better clues, and after all, the light god himself had pointed him towards the architect. </p><p>Parting the stalks of grain as he walked, he wandered aimlessly through the field. Deeper and deeper into the maze of Argrania, Sehun walks until the night settles around him. His chest aches with a pang of fear, thinking that perhaps he will get lost in this, the deepest part of Argrania. The pang morphs into a great weight, and all his limbs feel clunky and heavy as he moves. </p><p><i>Just keep moving,</i> he tells himself. <i>You mustn’t stop.</i></p><p>It is many minutes, he thinks, or many moons. He can’t tell the difference between night and day here, and he looks to the sky, the unchanging sky. He thirsts. He hungers. He closes his eyes, and he thinks of Junmyeon. </p><p>When he opens his eyes, he is in a clearing no wider than the great river back home. He looks around, fingers dancing along the stalks of grain as he observes. Directly in front of him, there is a small wooden cabin, simply built but clean. There is a garden, flowers and herbs and vegetables, and Sehun walks towards it, confused. </p><p>How has he come to this place? How and why? </p><p>The glimmerstone couldn’t be inside a place so normal, so <i>simple</i>… could it? </p><p>He walks up to the door, knocking twice. He stands back, confused, and suddenly, at the parted curtain by the window, there they are. </p><p>The long lost love has long dark hair, and it is pulled back, a thin band of gold ribbon around their crown. They are of medium height, medium build, and if it weren’t for their beautiful face, strong, demanding features, Sehun thinks maybe they would be able to fade into the background. Instead, they leap off the page of life, and as they leave the window, Sehun takes another step back, heart racing in his chest as the door swings open. </p><p>“State your purpose.” </p><p>“I am here to destroy the glimmerstone,” Sehun spits out. </p><p>The long lost love looks him over, and Sehun holds himself still, still as he can manage. Nervous energy thrums through him. It was enough for the architect, but will it be enough for them? </p><p>Suddenly, without a word, they leave Sehun standing at the doorway, walking back into the cabin. The door is still swung open, and when they take a seat at the table off to the side, they stare at him. </p><p>“Well,” they say boredly. “Come in.” </p><p>Sehun scrambles inside, and he shuts the door behind him. The cabin is lived in, rather lovely, and Sehun assumes that must be because of how long they’ve been here. Hiding. </p><p>There is a chair opposite them, and Sehun sits down, hands in his lap. </p><p>“Do away with the lies and deceit while you are in this place,” they say. “You can call me Flora if you like.” </p><p>“F-Flora,” Sehun says. “I’m sorry for the sudden intrusion.” </p><p>They seem to find it amusing, a little smile upon their face. “Apology accepted, I suppose.” </p><p>“I spoke to the architect,” Sehun says. “He told me that you could help me.” </p><p>“There is no way to destroy the glimmerstone,” Flora says. “You must know that.” </p><p>“There is a way to destroy anything.” </p><p>“Not this,” they say. “Never this.” </p><p>“How do you know?” Sehun asks. </p><p>“If there was a way to destroy it, I would know,” Flora says. “I am the master of it.” They look him over. “And I said no lies. No deceit.” </p><p>“I am not lying to you.” </p><p>Flora sighs. “I’ve been alive for a very long time.” </p><p>They stand sharply, and they go to the hearth in the back of the cabin. Sehun watches as they turn around the little kitchen, confused. </p><p>“What are you really doing here?” they ask, and the fire pulses.  </p><p>“I am here to talk to you,” Sehun says. He squints at them. “What are you doing?” </p><p>“Eating, of course,” they say, looking over their shoulder to narrow their eyes. “How did you find me?” </p><p>“Well, it wasn’t so difficult,” Sehun says. They scoff. “What?” </p><p>“Few have come to this place.” </p><p>“Is there a spell on it?” </p><p>“The power of the glimmerstone is immeasurable,” Flora says, and they stir at something in a pot. “I can avert the eye. I can give life just as easily as I can take it.” They look back over their shoulder again, dropping what they’re doing. “What is your purpose here?” </p><p>“I was sent,” Sehun says easily. “Who was the architect? How did he know you were here?” </p><p>“He was my father once,” they say, their lips moving so slowly, as if slowed by time. “He hated them. He always hated them.” </p><p>“But why?” Sehun wonders. </p><p>“What gives them the right?” they ask. “What makes them better than anyone else? They allow suffering. They <i>deal</i> in suffering.” </p><p>“They did not create this world,” Sehun says. “They only rule over it.” </p><p>“And I still wonder,” they whisper, “what makes them fit to rule?” They tilt their head to the side, long hair flowing over their shoulder. “What makes you defend them so?” </p><p>“They aren’t so terrible,” Sehun says. “They listen to our pleas.” </p><p>“Ah,” they tut. “I see now.” </p><p>“What?” </p><p>“This is your deal,” they smile. “<i>Retrieve the diamond of the dark from their hands, and you can have whatever your heart desires.</i>” </p><p>“In a few more words,” Sehun shrugs. “Is that a crime?” </p><p>“Certainly not.” They lean forward, brows raising slightly. “Would you like to know how many have been tasked with the same trial?” </p><p><i>It will not frighten me,</i> Sehun tells himself. <i>Those who have come before all lacked something particular. I was chosen. I am special. I was meant for this.</i></p><p>“The first person to try and take the diamond,” they whisper, “it was my father. But the glimmerstone judged him unworthy. He shriveled up to nothing, nearly killed him. You know what the lord of light did to him?” </p><p>“I confess, I do not.” </p><p>“Kept him alive,” they say. “Kept him on the brink of death.” They look to the ceiling of the cabin, and Sehun notices that their eyes sparkle with tears. “He was the greatest thinker of our time. Gave us the roads. The waterways. The magic. And how did Baekhyun repay him? Made a mockery of his humanity. Left him cold and grey for all time. Until he’s learned his lesson.” </p><p>Sehun’s stomach turns. “He’d taken what was not his. It was born to the lord of light.” </p><p>“It was,” they say. “But now it’s mine. First, my father, and now me. And I’ll never let him have it. Not so long as I’m living.” </p><p>“I don’t understand,” Sehun whispers. “Didn’t you love him? They said that you loved him.” </p><p>Flora turns their back on him. </p><p>“Love is complicated,” Flora says. </p><p>Will this ever happen to him, he wonders. Will his love for Junmyeon ever get tangled with his love for Suho? An impossible knot? Unsalvageable? </p><p>“Where is the glimmerstone now?” Sehun asks.</p><p>“Well, it doesn’t matter now,” they say, and they turn, eyes glimmering black with starlight. “You will not make it out of here alive.” </p><p>The light in the cabin dies with her, and all Sehun can see is darkness. He blinks, but there is no noticeable change. He has never seen complete and total black like this before, never once in his life. For a moment, he stares in wonder, reaching out in front of him as he stands, walking forward until he hits something. </p><p><i>Oh</i>, he thinks, fingertips brushing against the stalks of grain as the gentle winds blow past his face, <i>I am outside.</i> </p><p>And then, there is a flash of light, furious and bright.</p><p>Sehun whirls around to face the light, but all that’s shining in the dark is a sword of white gold. Their face, strong and beautiful, is twisted into evil, and it shoots through Sehun’s heart. <i>Fear.</i> </p><p>“Wanderer,” they say, “I am sorry for what he’s done to you, but like so many of your brothers, this is where you will die.” </p><p>Sehun creeps backward as they step forward with the sword of light, and he rummages through his bag. There is only a small dagger, the hilt made of swirled coral, the blade as sharp as the cut between ocean and sky. </p><p>They laugh as he holds the dagger out in front of him. </p><p>“I take no pleasure in it,” they say, biting their lip. “But you came here hoping to steal from me. I cannot abide it. And I cannot spare you.” </p><p>They jolt forward between the seconds, and Sehun has no time to react. It’s almost as if time stops for them, only moves when they say it can. </p><p>Sehun screams in pain as the dagger drops from his hand, as the light, sizzling and bright, slices through his abdomen. His arm goes to cover the wound instinctively, and blood wets his sleeve. His mouth falls open in terror, the anguish building in his chest, but he tells himself to quiet down, to still the tears in his eyes. <i>It has not spilled you out onto the earth. You will survive it. You must.</i> </p><p>Still, he falls to the ground, the cold, dark ground, and <i>Gods</i>, he’s never felt more alone as the reality of what’s just happened sets in. When he looks at his hands, they are covered in red. When he looks at his clothes, they are drenched. He could die here, he thinks. He will… </p><p>“Do you see the power of it now?” Flora asks, and they crouch down over his body, leaning into his space. “Do you see what I’m able to accomplish all with some silly stone? You did not have a chance.” </p><p>Sehun holds himself across the middle, gasping with pain as the poison of white seeps into him. It feels like infection, hot and mean, and he writhes there on the ground as he desperately tries to move away from them, get to safety, get to Junmyeon. </p><p><i>Junmyeon</i>, he thinks. <i>Oh, Gods, no. I want to live.</i> </p><p>For reasons unknown, his eyes go to the headband, gold and wrapped around their crown. </p><p>The diadem. Averting his eyes. </p><p>He lurches forward with one last spit of strength, and he rips the ribbon away from their head, letting it flutter through the air. They try to catch it, but it slips between their wrinkling hands. </p><p>There is a burst of smoke that splits above the two of them, and that smoke then bursts into light so bright that it is nearly blinding. They laugh into the air, almost <i>relieved</i>, and when Sehun is able to open his eyes, he sees them sinking to their knees, skin shriveling up, cold. Grey. He cannot focus, and he reaches to brush the sweat away from his brow, but oh, he is bleeding there too. He crawls to their body, but it is already done. The game complete. </p><p>They die there in front of him, the light hollowing out the sky into navy black. Sehun falls back along the dirt, their body next to his. When he takes the ribbon in his hand, it changes, shifts. The spell undone. </p><p>Metal. Silver and gold. The stone. The diamond of the dark.<br/>
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</div><p>When he comes to, he is in the middle of the grain field, and he is losing the ability to keep his eyes open. He looks to his right, to his left, and he is totally alone. He gasps as he sits up, the pain unbelievable, and he pokes at his stomach to confirm what he already knew. He will die soon if he doesn’t find someone to help him.</p><p>Fingers clutching the crown, he stumbles back through the field, hoping to find someone to help him. Anyone. Anyone at all. </p><p>There is a man with a burlap sack, walloping stalks of grain, threshing before winnowing. He looks alarmed as Sehun walks towards him, and Sehun would want to calm his worries if he could.  </p><p>“T-Take me to the inn,” he whispers, “please, I’ll pay you.” </p><p>The man stares at him, confused but shocked into movement, and like that, they are away. Sehun moans as the man helps carry his weight across town towards the inn. The woman at the desk shrieks as she sees what’s happened to him, the lady of the house. </p><p><i>We drank once</i>, Sehun thinks dizzily. <i>Didn’t we? Sweet red wine under the stars?</i></p><p>“Rest, rest,” she says. “We’ll heal you up properly.” </p><p>Sehun has no choice but to listen to her command, slipping off into the chasm of darkness once more.<br/>
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</div><p>They stitch him back together, though Sehun does not feel better for it.</p><p>“It’s because you need more rest,” the lady says. “You need to heal!” </p><p>“I need to return the stone,” Sehun says, half-mad. “I need to see the mountain.” </p><p>“Son, you’ll never make it,” the man says. “You’ll die along the way.” </p><p>But Sehun knows better. All that he needs now is to get home. Back to Junmyeon.<br/>
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</div><p>His middle aches each day, and every sun, he thinks he might be getting worse and worse off. He doesn’t let himself think about it, not even for a moment. He tumbles through the empty fields, keeping his stitches clean as best he can.</p><p>He will be all right, he reminds himself. <i>Junmyeon will never let me die, not now that I’ve done this.</i> </p><p>When he reaches the mountain city, he is near death, he thinks. He is so close, but he needs to stop. There is one person, he thinks. One person he wants to see. </p><p>He goes to Jinnie, sees her waiting on a table. He leans against the wall of the establishment, letting it hold him up. She looks past him, eyes immediately switching back to him when she realizes who, <i>what</i> she’s seeing. </p><p>Sehun would laugh if he could get enough air. </p><p>She hurriedly brings him upstairs to a room. </p><p>“You’ll never make it up the mountain like this,” she whispers. “H-How did you make it this far?” </p><p>“I don’t know,” Sehun says softly, laughing. It makes him shiver with pain. “I confess, I don’t know.” </p><p>She pets over his forehead, wiping away the sweat, and she smiles at him. </p><p>“M-May I see it?” she asks. </p><p>“Fetch the bag,” he whispers. </p><p>Jinnie marvels at the diadem, her eyes growing large. Sehun smiles at her, turning the diadem back and forth so that it reflects the light in rainbows all around them. He closes his eyes for just a moment, and he is amazed to find that the glimmerstone lives up to its name. He sees light even in the dark. Magical. </p><p>And then something terrible happens. Sehun is too slow, body reacting just a bit too lazily because of the overwhelming pain. </p><p>She reaches for it, fingers curling around the crown jewel. His eyes spring open, and he watches as the light drains from her. Body going black and white in front of him. </p><p>“W-What have you done?” she whispers. “What have you done to me?” </p><p>“N-Nothing, I—why did you touch it?” Sehun whispers angrily, and he tries to put her back together, chucking the diadem to the side, holding her face. “W-Why?” </p><p>“It’s power,” she whispers. “It’s unhinged power. I could have done anything with it. <i>Anything.</i>” </p><p>“Why would you—why?” </p><p>Her body falls alongside his, all of the color dripping down to her feet, all of the light pulled from her eyes. He wants to use the diamond to fix her, but he’s got no idea how, no concept of how to use it for his own benefit. Or the benefit of others. Would he die if he touched it? Like her? </p><p>He holds her gently, stomach twinging with pain as he curls close to her. </p><p>“Ever since I first saw you,” she whispers, “I knew you were special. Different.” </p><p>“I’m not different,” Sehun whispers to her. “I am the same as you.” </p><p>“Don’t play dumb,” she says. “You don’t hear the song as I heard it.” She shuts her eyes. “The diamond was calling my name.” </p><p>“Don’t,” Sehun says, and he leans his cheek along her head, eyes shutting. “Don’t leave.” </p><p>“I fear I must,” Jinnie whispers. “I hope…  I hope my parents understand.” </p><p>Sehun’s mouth opens in a cry of despair as the girl dies in his arms, as the diamond of the dark sends her to the rolling white river. Her soul leaves her, he can almost see it in the air above him. It is a haunting sight. </p><p><i>I wish I’d never met her. I wish I hadn’t dragged her into this.</i> </p><p>Sehun holds what’s left of her, grey and worn down by time and eternal light, and when her parents enter the room, he stammers as he tries to explain. </p><p>“W-What have you done to her?” her father whispers, and he takes Sehun’s shoulder in the palm of his hand, shaking him. “What have you <i>done</i>?” </p><p>He reaches over to take the diadem, to show them what happened, but suddenly, the glimmerstone begins to spin braided iridescent light over the whole room. Sehun stares in wonderment as the light funnels in the space above their heads, swirling and swirling like a shining tornado, and then, quick as it left her, it jumps back into her body. </p><p>Into Jinnie. </p><p>She gasps suddenly, fresh and breathing with reds, blues, greens, and golds, and she stares at him. Her parents shriek, the sounds dull in Sehun’s ears as his mouth hangs open, aghast. </p><p>“Oh,” the girl whispers, and the light trips back into her. “O-Oh, it’s—” </p><p>“You are unto a god,” her mother whispers. “She was dead before us, and now—” </p><p>“And now she lives,” her father whispers. He stares at Sehun, a gradient of fear and awe, and Sehun looks back at him through hazy, wet eyes. “She lives.” </p><p>“I must go,” Sehun whispers, and he sits up sharply, clutching his stomach. “I must deliver this to the light god himself… before anyone else gets hurt with it.” </p><p>They don’t say another word, letting him leave without argument. There is such power, raw and untamed, and he has only just barely begun. </p><p>It must be lonely, wielding such strength. </p><p>He leaves the city under the mount, the diadem safely tucked away in his purse. No harm shall come to anyone else, not while it is in his possession.<br/>
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</div><p>Sehun’s stomach twitches with pain as he climbs the mountain, the sun setting as he journeys. The braziers are lit around him, and he lets them paint him in amber and red as he stumbles up to the peak.</p><p>The guards look alarmed when they see him, and he grimaces. </p><p>“My name is Sehun,” he says. “I'm here to see His Grace.” </p><p>“Do you have an appointment?” one asks. </p><p>Sehun digs the diadem out of his bag. </p><p>“Call him,” he says, everything, <i>everything</i> drained from him as he safely tucks the glimmerstone back into his purse. </p><p>They bring him to the audience, and Baekhyun is standing there, hands clasped in front of his body. He raises his brows, and Sehun waits. </p><p>“Well?” Baekhyun asks. “Have you done it?” </p><p>“Would I be here looking as I do if I hadn’t?” Sehun asks. </p><p>“It was not a <i>necessity</i> that you lost your life in a defeat,” Baekhyun says, and he wrings his hands. “You could be here to concede.” </p><p>Sehun doesn’t have the time or energy to keep him going, so he simply pulls the crown from his bag, listening to the music of Baekhyun’s reaction. </p><p>“Shall you kneel before me?” Sehun teases.</p><p>But then Baekhyun <i>does</i> kneel, sinking to the floor where he stands, head bowed lowly. Sehun sets his bag on the ground, stepping forward with the diadem clutched between his hands. Gently, he rests it upon Baekhyun’s crown. </p><p>He feels something shift in the air, something like the snap of fingers, and when Baekhyun raises his head, his eyes are pure, molten gold. </p><p>Lifted off the floor with a swirling gale of magic, he holds his arms out to the side as he shuts his eyes, the most handsome smile spreading across his face. Sehun beholds him, him at his highest, fullest power, the light beaming outwards so brightly that Sehun has to shield his eyes against it, and Gods, it is beautiful. </p><p>Baekhyun drops out of the air, landing neatly on his feet as though he’d done so hundreds or even thousands of times before hopping over to Sehun, gathering him up in a tight embrace. </p><p>Baekhyun holds him close as he excitedly blathers on, and Sehun wishes he could work up even an ounce of his passion. He is so very tired, worn so very thin. </p><p>“An insurmountable peak, <i>surmounted</i>,” he whispers, pressing the words to Sehun’s chest. “An impossible task, <i>possible</i>!” </p><p>“Please,” Sehun whispers. </p><p>“What is it?” Baekhyun asks. “Anything you should need, take it and it will be yours. Ask it, and you shall be granted it.” </p><p>“I want to go home,” Sehun whispers. </p><p>“To the river town?” </p><p>“To J—Suho,” Sehun says, and his eyes water, thinking of Junmyeon’s arms, his smile. The caress of his soft hand. “Please, take me to Suho.”  </p><p>There is quiet as Baekhyun holds him, and then, an exhale. </p><p>“Close your eyes, and by the time you open them, you shall rest with your lover,” Baekhyun says. “Your first trial is over now.”<br/>
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</div><p>Sehun doesn’t enjoy the feeling of traveling through space the way the gods do, but if nothing else, it gets him exactly what he desires. He is plunged into the sea, the water filling his lungs. It is still unfamiliar, but in that, there is a joyous excitement.</p><p><i>Remember this,</i> his body seems to ask. <i>Do you remember the gentle touch of his waves?</i> </p><p><i>Yes,</i> he thinks, swimming forward to the gates of the palace, <i>yes, I could never forget.</i> </p><p>“This is as far as I’ll go,” Baekhyun says. “Do you need help getting inside?” </p><p>“I think I’ll be all right,” Sehun says. “I-I thank you.” </p><p>“Thank me,” Baekhyun scoffs. “You will never thank me again in your life, no matter how short, no matter how long it might be.” He nods towards the castle, and Sehun looks towards it, the coral, the seaweed, the gentle hum of the strings. “Go. Your lover awaits.” </p><p>Sehun takes his word, and he walks through the gates. He turns back a second later to find only the open ocean staring back at him. </p><p>Sehun wordlessly hobbles through the entrance to the palace, and attendants approach him cautiously, as though he is a wounded animal. He allows them to aid him, pulling him through twisting corridors towards a healing room. He lays his body down on an examination table, and one of them pulls his shirt open. </p><p>He moans softly as they touch along the pitifully stitched scar, and they whisper back and forth, things Sehun can barely hear now. His ears are thumping, heart pounding blood through him. Where is Junmyeon? Where is he? </p><p>He closes his eyes, and if he focuses, if he really tries, he can almost hear his assertive voice. Calling for aid. Demanding someone do their job. Saying Sehun’s name. Over and over again, he hears Junmyeon say his name. </p><p>Sehun’s eyes flutter open. He does not recognize the room that he’s in, never seen it before. It is beautiful, as they all are. There is a counter built of coral, sea glass stools of light blue and purple, and Junmyeon is there staring down at him, completely alarmed. </p><p>“Are you with me?” Junmyeon whispers, and Sehun nods slowly. “Stay with me, then.”</p><p>“All right,” Sehun says. “If you insist.” </p><p>Junmyeon snorts, and he nods to the woman standing next to him. “Deal with the infection. I’ll be back in a moment.” He turns, begins to walk away. </p><p>Sehun reaches out swiftly, hand on Junmyeon’s wrist. Junmyeon turns back, staring into Sehun’s eyes. </p><p>“Stay,” Sehun whispers. </p><p>Junmyeon narrows his eyes with a smile. He takes a seat at Sehun’s side, takes Sehun's hand in both of his. </p><p>“All right,” Junmyeon says. “I’ll stay.”<br/>
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<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> ☵ </p>
</div><p>The healing takes time, and it burns with every step.</p><p>“Don’t be such a child,” Junmyeon says, and he winces as Sehun squeezes his hand. “It can’t hurt <i>that</i> bad.” </p><p>“It does,” Sehun whines. “It hurts very badly.” </p><p>“Perhaps you should have <i>thought</i> about that before you started this insane, <i>inane</i> mission. Perhaps you should have thought <i>at all.</i>” </p><p>“I thought,” Sehun says, and he squeezes his eyes closed as the healer begins to seal him shut after dealing with all the infection. “I must have thought even once.” </p><p>“You didn’t, and now this is the price you must pay for such a lack of forethought,” Junmyeon says. “Will you think more in the future?” </p><p>“The future?” Sehun scoffs. “You were right. I cannot do it, my lord. It is a fool’s errand. These trials, they would be the death of me.” </p><p>“And yet, now that you’ve begun, you must see it through to the end,” Junmyeon whispers. “Now, it is your burden to bear.” </p><p>“Help me bear it,” Sehun whispers. </p><p>Junmyeon looks around the room, raising his brows. “Have I not given you shelter?” </p><p>“You have.” </p><p>“Have I not given you bread and salt?” </p><p>“You have, my lord.” </p><p>“Have I not given you the best healing so that you don’t die before your time?” </p><p>“Where is Yixing?” Sehun wonders. “I don’t see him near.” </p><p>“Apologies for this idiot, Jieun,” Junmyeon says to the healer. “Any offense he causes is surely a result of the immense pain.” </p><p>“No offense taken, my lord,” the healer says, and she looks at Sehun. “I know it’s difficult. Just a few minutes more, all right, sir?” </p><p>“I’m no sir,” Sehun says. </p><p>“I’ve instructed them to refer to you with such a respectful title,” Junmyeon says. “Now quiet, make no more ass of yourself than you have already.” Sehun bites his lip, and the little pain lances through him beautifully. “Delighted with yourself?” </p><p>“Only a bit, my lord.” </p><p>“Yes, well,” Junmyeon says, and he looks away like he can’t look upon Sehun as he says it, “I would have called upon Yixing, but none of them are to assist you. It goes against the rules.” </p><p>“You’re assisting me.” </p><p>“Am I?” Junmyeon sneers. “I hadn’t noticed.” </p><p>Sehun shuts his eyes as he smiles to himself, letting the knowledge wash over him. </p><p>When the work's all said and done, Junmyeon helps Sehun off the bed, abdomen wrapped tightly in neat white bandages. He feels weakened, all his reserves of energy wiped out as he lets Junmyeon put his arm over Junmyeon’s shoulder, holding him up as they walk through the halls of the palace. </p><p>They’re passed by many attendants, bees fluttering from place to place with their tasks, and each of them gives them a look up and down to confirm what they’re seeing. <i>Yes,</i> Sehun thinks. <i>This is how special I am. Look at how high I’ve been lifted.</i> </p><p>“So pleased with yourself,” Junmyeon comments, “and you’ve nearly been sliced in twain.” </p><p>“If I am to be cut in two, then at least I’ll be able to keep some part of me here with you,” Sehun says wistfully. </p><p>“I’ll call the master at arms in then,” Junmyeon says. “She can finish what they started earlier.” </p><p>Sehun smiles, his head so light that he feels like he’s floating as Junmyeon guides him towards the bed. Junmyeon leaves him there, streaked across the sheets, and Sehun stares at the ceiling for a couple minutes before realizing that these aren’t his chambers. This is Junmyeon’s room. </p><p>Junmyeon returns a moment later, bare of clothes, and he settles the covers around their bodies as he clings tightly to Sehun’s body. </p><p>“It has been miserable without you here,” Junmyeon says softly, and he buries the words into Sehun’s chest. “You… you <i>fool</i>.” </p><p>“Did you worry about me?” </p><p>“Would it please you to hear that I did?” </p><p>“It would, my lord,” Sehun says. </p><p>“Then I shall not say it,” Junmyeon says, and Sehun can feel him smile against Sehun’s skin. </p><p>They fall asleep in each other’s arms, and oh, it is lovelier than ever before. </p><p>“I would break any rule for you,” Junmyeon says quietly. “Any at all.” </p><p>Sehun cannot think of anything worth saying at the moment, so he only holds Junmyeon close to him, letting the immensity of what he’s done wash over him. A lost item, retrieved. And it took nearly everything. Could he ever make it out alive, and if he did, would it be worth it? </p><p>“Tell me,” Sehun says. “Is this all a farce?” </p><p>“No,” Junmyeon says. “The reward at the end is as real as I am.” </p><p>Sehun’s eyes flutter shut, and he dreams, praying that Junmyeon is real. Praying that he doesn’t have to wake from the dream of him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>wah so thats the end of this trial! sorry if it was ..... Bad or whatever. i tried my best kljsdjg </p><p>i think i'll take next week off to draft the next trial, and then hopefully, staring on august 10, i can begin posting on that same monday-wednesday-friday schedule. so.... look forward to that if u like this sort of thing hehe ;~; okay have a good weekend, have a good time, be good to each other, leave comments or questions if u have them, all that fun stuff !</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/okamiwind">my twitter</a> | <a href="https://curiouscat.me/okamiwind">my curiouscat</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. the slaying of the ivy skin, part one</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>these sections will deal with a big snake! if big snakes are definitely not your bag, i would skip these next three parts ;~; sorry!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <i>He sees their face in flames, white, holy flames. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>They are so beautiful. And they slice through him, slice through him clean. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>His body is split nearly in two, and the light dies from him. Where has the light gone? Where? Did Baekhyun take it with him? </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>He blinks, and Junmyeon is staring down at him. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“Didn’t I warn you?” he whispers sweetly. “I told you it would be your end.” </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>He leans down closer to Sehun, and Sehun tenses, arching his neck so that he might kiss him one last time. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>But Junmyeon, his love, his lord… he changes. He becomes something else. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>His lovely face morphs into that of a large snake, and his tongue is forked when he rears back to hiss. Sehun’s heart sinks inside his body as the snake lunges forward, as Sehun closes his eyes, as everything around him goes black, black, black.</i>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> ☵ </p>
</div><p>Sehun jolts awake the following morning, and Junmyeon is still in his arms. He sighs out in relaxing pleasure, tightening his hold on Junmyeon, cradling him close. It had only been a dream. He was only dreaming.</p><p>Though the movement alerts him to the pain in his stomach, he is alive. He has survived his first task, has not yet succumbed to the overwhelming pressure. There are only six more tasks for him to complete, and though the first nearly took all he had, with Junmyeon in his arms, he is even more sure that he has more to give. </p>
<p>Junmyeon stirs, and Sehun pets his palm over Junmyeon’s shoulder. </p>
<p>“Good morning,” he whispers. “Did you rest well, my lord?” </p>
<p>“Yes, it is exceedingly comfortable,” Junmyeon says, voice scratchy with sleep, “to rest within your arms.” </p>
<p>Sehun makes a happy sound, and he holds Junmyeon to his body. “I am glad to hear that I might be of service to you.” </p>
<p>“Enough,” Junmyeon says. “You’re playing a dangerous game.” </p>
<p>“What game is that?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>Junmyeon pushes onto Sehun’s chest, staring into Sehun’s eyes. </p>
<p>“You think I’m as dumb as you?” Junmyeon asks. “You’re being good for the moment, as if I might forget that you’ll be leaving soon enough.” </p>
<p>“It is necessary,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“For whom?” Junmyeon asks. “Certainly not for you.” </p>
<p>“I must do this,” Sehun says. “For us.” </p>
<p>“You nearly died,” Junmyeon says. “Your thread hung in the air. Didn’t you see it above your head?” </p>
<p>“But it was not cut.” </p>
<p>“Nearly,” Junmyeon says. “The knife rested along the thin braid of fibers.” </p>
<p>“But I am here,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“Only barely,” Junmyeon says. “And soon, you will be gone again.” </p>
<p>“Miss me more,” Sehun says cheerfully. “Yearn for my touch while I’m away. I am convinced that it gives me strength.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon rolls his eyes before pressing a kiss to Sehun’s pectoral. </p>
<p>“Then I suppose there is nothing I can do to convince you, hm?” </p>
<p>“You said it yourself, my lord,” Sehun says. “I must see it through to the end.” </p>
<p>“I could hide you away somewhere,” Junmyeon says. “Bury you so deeply in the earth that they could never find you.” </p>
<p>“Then how would you have me?” Sehun whispers. </p>
<p>“It wouldn’t matter,” Junmyeon says. “As long as they couldn’t touch you, it would be enough for me.” </p>
<p>The strange possessive tone in his voice makes Sehun shiver with pleasure. He covers the back of Junmyeon’s neck with his hand, pulling him up until he can kiss Junmyeon’s lips. Junmyeon moans softly as he rolls his body onto Sehun’s, and together they rise like the morning sun.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> ☵ </p>
</div><p>They break fast in Junmyeon’s chambers, and it is tense at the table. Sehun eats quietly as Junmyeon stares at him over his food.</p><p>After eating on the road, the slim pickings few and far between, he takes the opportunity to indulge in the splendor of the ocean kingdom. He first goes for the plate of soft scrambled eggs sprinkled with dried seaweed, sesame seeds, sugar and salt. He follows it with little bits of his grilled fish, sips from his soup bowl. There is a bowl of pickled plums, and he pops one into his mouth as Junmyeon glares at him. </p>
<p>“What?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“Eat,” Junmyeon says, and he nudges forward another bowl of soup. <i>His</i> soup. “You look skinny.” </p>
<p>“I’m eating,” Sehun says. “You’re not eating, my lord.” </p>
<p>“I have this bounty every day,” Junmyeon says. “You might not.” </p>
<p>“Don’t be so coarse to me,” Sehun says, and he moves his leg forward underneath the table, wrapping his leg around Junmyeon’s. Their legs and feet are bare, and he gently rubs his foot against Junmyeon’s calf. “Be sweet to me. I’ll need as much as I can get.” </p>
<p>“I despise you,” Junmyeon says, squinting his eyes. </p>
<p>“I think you’re rather fond of me,” Sehun smiles. </p>
<p>“Unfortunately, I think you’re right,” Junmyeon says, and he turns, the attendant in the corner of the room jumping to attention. “Apples, please.”  </p>
<p>The attendant moves from the chambers easily, and Sehun smiles. </p>
<p>“Do you like apples, my lord?” </p>
<p>“Yes,” Junmyeon says. “And it’s good for you which is why I’ll give you as many as you can carry.” </p>
<p>“Is this a symbol?” Sehun grins. “A sign of your undying love?” </p>
<p>“Perhaps,” Junmyeon says, “or perhaps not. Perhaps it is only that I don’t wish you to starve because it feels worse when you embrace me.” </p>
<p>“Isn’t that a sign?” </p>
<p>“If you say, then it is so,” Junmyeon says rolling his eyes. </p>
<p>Sehun eats happily, eating the slices of apples once they’re brought. The fruit is crisp and sweet, and Sehun lets the taste bleed over his tongue. It’s easy to forget the pain in his middle when Junmyeon sits across from him, when the fruit is just so sugary. </p>
<p>They spend the day together in the southern garden, watching the butterflies float past them in the water. Junmyeon combs through Sehun’s hair, his head resting in Junmyeon’s lap. The water is so warm, the physical affection so gentle… Sehun nearly falls asleep in the afternoon sun streaking through the water. </p>
<p>In the middle of the evening, they are feasting in Junmyeon’s chambers when they are interrupted by an attendant, her face long and grim. </p>
<p>“Is it to be now? When I’ve only just gotten him back?” Junmyeon asks, and when she stretches her hand forward to pass Junmyeon the scroll, the seal is white, no, silver in the light. “Thank you, dearest.” </p>
<p>She bows and exits the room, leaving them there at the table. Sehun brings his hands to his lap as Junmyeon stares down at the seal. </p>
<p>“Yixing,” Junmyeon says softly. “It will be to do with the snake, I assume.” </p>
<p>A healthy dose of fear lances through him. </p>
<p>“The what?” </p>
<p>“Never you mind,” Junmyeon says. “You’ll find out soon enough anyway.” He pops the wax seal off the letter, unfurls the parchment. “He’ll come to the palace to fetch you.” </p>
<p>“All right,” Sehun says. “W-Will… will you see me off, my lord?” </p>
<p>Junmyeon studies Sehun’s face as he lowers the sheet of parchment to the table. </p>
<p>“Thorn in your side about the last time?” </p>
<p>“It hurt me,” Sehun says plainly. “Am I supposed to lie?” </p>
<p>“No, only if you feel like lying,” Junmyeon says. “I’d be able to suss out the truth either way.” </p>
<p>“Then I won’t lie to you,” Sehun says. “You should have stayed.” </p>
<p>“<i>Should</i> have,” Junmyeon scoffs. “The only thing I should do is put you in your place.” </p>
<p>“Over you? Underneath you? Flipping you over and putting your face in the sheets?” </p>
<p>“Rather clever, aren’t you? Full of yourself?” Sehun gives a happy little shrug. “I can guarantee you won’t feel so clever if I send you off without so much as a wave.” </p>
<p>Sehun frowns. “You’re cruel.” </p>
<p>“Speak to me with respect on your tongue, or else I’ll cut it in two.” Sehun lowers his head with a wry smile. Junmyeon would like that, he bets. “Oh, you are putrid.” </p>
<p>“Rancid all the way through, I think,” Sehun agrees. </p>
<p>Junmyeon sighs, staring at Sehun. </p>
<p>“I will see you off,” Junmyeon says. “Not because of some overwhelming affection, but because it will be the last time I get to look upon your beauty for a while.” </p>
<p>“Is that not affection, clear as day?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>Junmyeon rolls his eyes. “Get dressed and fetch your bag from the attendant outside. He will arrive within the hour.” </p>
<p>Sehun stands from the table, elated and thrumming with energy. His body still aches, but oh, he thinks he will be ready for this next step if Junmyeon is there to watch him go.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> ☵ </p>
</div><p>They go to the tall tower, and they wait for Yixing to arrive. Junmyeon threads his fingers through Sehun’s, clinging tightly to him. He cares more than he lets on. He cares more than he lets himself believe, Sehun thinks.</p><p>“Will you think of me often?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“Even when I’d rather not,” Junmyeon says. </p>
<p>Sehun laughs, and he pulls Junmyeon into an embrace. </p>
<p>“When I return, you will have a feast in my honor,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“Oh, will I?” </p>
<p>“You will,” Sehun whispers, pressing a kiss to Junmyeon’s ear. “And you will herald my glorious return with songs.” </p>
<p>“You know this for a fact?” </p>
<p>“I know it for a fact,” Sehun says. “And I will make love to you from the rise of the sun to her set. I will bring you so much pleasure, you won’t be able to live without it. Without me.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon looks into Sehun’s eyes, and the sparkling galaxy spreads across his face. Junmyeon kisses him softly, and their tongues meet. Sehun tastes the promise. Sweet. Crisp. The reddest apple. </p>
<p>He pulls back, and Junmyeon’s lips are blushed, scarlet. He presses the pad of his thumb against Junmyeon’s lip, sweeps it from the left to the right. He will miss Junmyeon, surely, but he is meant to do this. Meant to survive across the long eternity. He can feel it. </p>
<p>“The road is long behind, but even longer ahead,” Junmyeon says, some little reminder, and he presses his forehead to Sehun’s. “Don’t forget that I expect you back in my arms.” </p>
<p>“How could I forget something so important?” </p>
<p>“You’re very foolish, fisherboy,” Junmyeon smiles. “Don’t think <i>I’ve</i> forgotten.” </p>
<p>There is a flash beside them, and Yixing steps from the smoke. </p>
<p>“Lovers,” Yixing says pleasantly. “It is so good to see you both in such happy times.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon slips his arms out from around Sehun’s body, and he steps back. Sehun steels himself, eyes gliding over Junmyeon. His face. The slope of his neck. His skin. It would be nice to return. To make Junmyeon honor the words he spoke. </p>
<p>“If he dies, I don’t want to see his body,” Junmyeon says, staring into Sehun’s eyes, but speaking past him. “Burn it with the rest.” </p>
<p>Sehun’s eyes go wide. </p>
<p>“I have heard of the boy’s success with the glimmerstone,” Yixing says, and he shrugs his shoulders casually like Sehun isn’t standing right there. “He might live.” </p>
<p>“And if the skin takes him, then let it be done. I don’t want to hear a word about it,” Junmyeon says. He nods towards Sehun’s bag. “Don’t forget about the apples, fisherboy.” </p>
<p>“I-I won’t,” Sehun says, strangely affected by the conversation they have around him. <i>Skin? Burn his body?</i> </p>
<p>Junmyeon smiles softly, a splash of joy, and Sehun melts. He steps forward, letting Junmyeon raise himself up onto his tiptoes to press a farewell kiss to his lips. </p>
<p>“All right,” Junmyeon commands, hands gentle on Sehun’s chest before he pushes him backwards towards Yixing. “Away.” </p>
<p>“I’ll see you soon,” Sehun says. “I promise.” </p>
<p>“You have no way of knowing whether or not you’ll keep that promise,” Junmyeon says. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to swear to a god if you aren’t sure you will honor it?” </p>
<p>“I’m sure,” Sehun says. “I will honor it.” </p>
<p>Yixing wraps his hand around Sehun’s wrist, and Sehun has a moment to close his eyes before he is tumbling through the sparkling forever, body streaking along the black and blue ocean.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> ☵ </p>
</div><p>He is breathless when they land, and he thuds into his feet like he is falling from the sky, the shockwaves of pain rattling through his shins. He doesn’t have time to look around, but it is dark, the air moist, green and black. He winces.</p><p>“Oh, sorry,” Yixing says, and he steps back, brushing Sehun off by the shoulders. “Bit rougher than I intended.” </p>
<p>He covers Sehun’s shoulders with his hands, and Sehun is overwhelmed by a sudden surge of warmth through him. He can feel his blood inside him, he can feel the regeneration of his skin… there is a distinct pleasure coursing through him, and he gasps as Yixing touches him. </p>
<p>“What are you doing?” he asks, voice torn and shredded as the magic dances through him, light and airy.</p>
<p>“Quiet,” Yixing says, and he closes his eyes, a smile creeping onto his face. “It’s hard to work when you’re talking.” </p>
<p>Sehun obeys the command, letting Yixing work. Junmyeon said it was against the rules, said he wouldn’t call because it would invalidate everything, and yet—the feeling is sparkling and bright, hopeful and full of joy. His mouth falls open silently as the pleasure moves through his blood, tingling, the fine hair along his arms standing on edge. </p>
<p>Yixing steps back after a moment more, sighing. He smiles at Sehun, and Sehun feels the overwhelming urge to smile back. He reaches down to his stomach, pressing into the skin that used to be stitched and aching, but now… the skin has healed. Healed perfectly. He has become new.  </p>
<p>“There now,” Yixing says. “A gift to welcome you to the kingdom.” </p>
<p>“Y-You healed me?” Sehun asks. “But S-Suho said—” </p>
<p>“What does it matter what Suho said?” Yixing laughs. “Will you tattle on me like a little schoolboy? You had an infection in your blood, just beginning, but had it taken hold of you any more, it would have been the death of you. None of the healers told you that, did they?” </p>
<p>“N-No, I suppose they didn’t,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“You think they knew?” </p>
<p>“Probably not?” </p>
<p>“Are you feeling better?” </p>
<p>“Much.” He bows in front of Yixing. “Thank you.” </p>
<p>“Ah, it was nothing,” Yixing says happily, and he turns. </p>
<p>Sehun has the opportunity to look around, freed by the sensation of being completely without pain. Has he ever felt so pure? He stretches, a great tense of his body as he observes Yixing’s kingdom for the first time. </p>
<p>The evening clucks and coos, the sounds of jungle birds, the chirping and trilling of bugs in the air. The leaves on the hundreds of trees surrounding them are wet like they’ve just had a rainstorm. Sehun shuts his eyes, breathing in the smell of damp earth. It is a comfort. </p>
<p>When Sehun turns back around, Yixing is seated at a small wooden table seemingly just for two. It is simply crafted, a rustic charm to the build. They are seated in the shadows of the palace, a massive marble structure that has become overrun by the flora of the jungle. Lianas crawl around the columns, nearly covering the trunk of the column with greenery. Even in the dim light of the night, Sehun can see rare flowers, petals streaked with vibrant color. </p>
<p>He sits opposite Yixing, the stones underneath them making his sandals slap. </p>
<p>“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Yixing says, gesturing to the jungle, not to the palace behind him. </p>
<p>“Yes, your grace,” Sehun answers, “very beautiful.” </p>
<p>“All of life as we know it was born from these jungles,” Yixing says. “This earth, the earth you’re sitting over… it is the most fertile in the world.” </p>
<p>Sehun looks up, the trees parting only for the palace. He can see straight to the star-studded sky, small flames of blue and white and yellow. </p>
<p>“Thank you for letting me see these beautiful lands,” Sehun says. “It is an honor.” </p>
<p>“Awfully deferential,” Yixing says, and Sehun cannot tell from his smile whether he is pleased or quietly angry. </p>
<p>“Does it not please your grace?” </p>
<p>Yixing shrugs. “I am not one for the formalities of the… more courtly gods.” </p>
<p>“Such as the light god?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“Or your lover,” Yixing smiles. “We are an alliance here.” </p>
<p>“And you give your gifts freely.” </p>
<p>“They belong to the earth, not to me,” Yixing says, and it occurs to Sehun that Yixing was telling the truth. He is quite different, at least as far as he’s seen. “Are you hungry? I am sure that Suho took care of you while you were in his company.” </p>
<p>“I am not hungry,” Sehun says, and he bows his head. “Thank you, your grace.” </p>
<p>“Enough. No more titles.” </p>
<p>“All right.” </p>
<p>Yixing frowns, standing in the next moment, and he walks very nonchalantly into the palace. He returns with a black glass bottle and two glasses hanging upside down from their stems. He sets the glasses down, unstopping the bottle before pouring the glasses full of a clear liquid. He sits, picks up his glass, and gestures for Sehun to take his own. </p>
<p>The clink of their glasses sings through the night sky, and the birds answer with a song of their own. Sehun sips the alcohol, the taste distinctly floral but sweet. He nods. </p>
<p>“Passionflower wine,” Yixing says happily, and he grins. “Good for the skin.” </p>
<p>“Thank you.” </p>
<p>“I don’t offer you this for no reason,” Yixing says. “Unfortunately, your trial here will be difficult.” He bows his head. “I’m sorry. I could think of nothing else.” </p>
<p>Sehun’s stomach sinks, but it isn’t like he could hold a grudge. Yixing seems genuine through and through. </p>
<p>“I did not think it would be easy,” Sehun says. “Do not fret.” </p>
<p>Yixing’s mouth twitches, and he takes another sip. “This could cost much. Your life. More than your life, even.” </p>
<p><i>What is more than my life,</i> Sehun wonders. </p>
<p>“I am prepared to give anything,” Sehun says. “Trust in me.” </p>
<p>“There is something you must see, then,” Yixing says. </p>
<p>He drinks what’s left of his passionflower wine, and Sehun follows suit. It slides down his throat easily, and when they go into the palace, Sehun still tastes the flowers. </p>
<p>They walk into a room of white and yellow, the furniture marble and streaked with gold. Each little thing seems richer than that which came before, the pillows plush and richly colored, the tapestries along the wall expertly crafted and bearing scenes from the birth of the world. Sehun studies them as Yixing busies himself by the bed. Perhaps these are Yixing’s personal chambers. It would make sense. It seems quite peaceful, the scent of sandalwood and orange pervasive in the space. </p>
<p>“All right,” he says, and when he turns to face Sehun again, his hands are covered in thick scaled gloves, black as night. “Are you ready?” </p>
<p>“I-I’m not sure,” Sehun laughs. </p>
<p>“Smart answer,” Yixing says, and he brushes past Sehun, the length of his robes fluttering white in the air behind him. “Follow me.” </p>
<p>Sehun is left standing there in Yixing’s wake, and after several seconds, the wine working through him like hurriedly stepping into motion to follow him. </p>
<p>They travel through the palace’s interior, almost completely empty. Sehun supposes it’s for good reason. It is the middle of the night. No one should be up at this time, and yet, here he is… following the god of healing, traipsing after him. </p>
<p>Had he told himself that this would be where he ended up, he never would have believed himself. </p>
<p>There are great golden urns overflowing with flowers every several feet, and Sehun studies them as they pass. Rooms are open, filled with people slumbering in great pits of pillows and blankets, and Sehun wonders if that’s how they live here. Together. </p>
<p>“Through here,” Yixing says, and they turn the corner together into a room with a great glass box, a box which seems to be empty. </p>
<p>Sehun looks around, confused. The room is sparsely decorated, just the glass box on a long marble table. That alone sets it in stark contrast with the rest of the palace, rich and colorful compared to dark and grim. It’s the kind of strange that immediately sets his teeth on edge, so he tries to stand up a bit straighter. Maybe his trial has already begun. </p>
<p>“Come closer,” Yixing bids, and Sehun follows the order, stepping forward slowly to approach the glass box. “Hurry along.” </p>
<p>Sehun goes a bit quicker despite the fact that everything in his body is telling him to leave, to turn back around and go back to Junmyeon. He stands at the very edge of the table next to Yixing, and as he looks down into the glass box, he can’t actually see what’s inside. </p>
<p><i>Curious</i>, he thinks, staring down through the glass to the marble of the table underneath. <i>Very curious.</i> </p>
<p>With quickness, Yixing jolts his scale-gloved hand into the glass box, hand wrapping around nothing… but then nothing becomes <i>something</i> right in front of Sehun’s eyes. </p>
<p>Slowly, as if shedding the skin of invisibility, the creature reveals itself. It doesn’t look half as loathsome as Sehun imagined it to be, nor as dangerous as Yixing is acting it is. It is only a small, emerald green snake, wriggling and writhing as Yixing holds it by the neck.  </p>
<p>“Oh,” Sehun whispers. </p>
<p>“It is but a babe, but were it permitted to grow, it would terrorize the earth,” Yixing says. “And so it must be dealt with.” </p>
<p>He looks to the wall behind Sehun, and Sehun looks on instinct. </p>
<p>There, resting in a mount, is a large silver sword, the cross-guard and grip studded with dozens of small sapphires. It looks very much a ceremonial weapon, but when Sehun looks back at Yixing, Yixing nods towards it.</p>
<p>“Fetch it for me,” he says, and Sehun is quick to act. </p>
<p>He goes to the wall, bringing the sword down off the mount. It is much heavier than he assumed it would be, and he struggles to hold it in just one hand. He brings it over to Yixing, and Yixing takes it easily in his right hand, the other still wrapped around the snake. </p>
<p>He brings the snake down onto the marble, and Sehun backs up. </p>
<p>Yixing brings the sword down onto the snake before it jolts away, and just like that, he beheads the slithering thing with one cut. </p>
<p>“The Ivy Skin,” Yixing says grimly, and he holds the head in the air, “is a snake. Before now, it had never born another. Now… now I am sure that without its extermination, we would all perish because of it.” </p>
<p>“A-And I’m meant to kill the snake?” Sehun asks. “T-The mother?” </p>
<p>“I wish there was some other way,” Yixing says, “but as long as it’s living, it spreads the most vicious disease.” </p>
<p>“W-What does it look like?” </p>
<p>“The snake?” </p>
<p>“The disease,” Sehun asks. “What does it do to people?” </p>
<p>“Shall I show you?” Yixing asks. </p>
<p>“Is it safe?” </p>
<p>“Once they’re dead, I can kill the plague,” Yixing says. “I can’t cure it when they’re alive… I don’t know how it works, but it is… it’s beyond my power.” </p>
<p>Sehun tries not to let the knowledge bother him. If it is beyond Yixing’s power, though, what chance does he have to resist it? </p>
<p>The gloves are stripped from his hands, the sword resting back in its place on the wall, and the snake lies dead on the tabletop. </p>
<p>He follows Yixing back through the winding corridors of the palace until they happen across the wing that smells of acid. There are beds, dozens of them with white linen and white pillows, and each of them holds a body. The unfortunate victims lie with hands over their hearts, eyes gently shut. They all look relatively normal except for one thing… the pattern of red bumps wrapped around their throat. </p>
<p>“Once it touches the bare skin,” Yixing says, “it is done. They have only minutes before it takes them.” </p>
<p>“I-Is it painful?” Sehun wonders. </p>
<p>Yixing stares at him, head tilted to the side. </p>
<p>“I don’t know,” Yixing says. “It is interesting that is where your mind goes. The suffering of others.” </p>
<p>“Perhaps I am only wondering about the suffering of myself,” Sehun says, staring down at the red rope of the rash fastened around a dead man’s neck. </p>
<p>“So it may be,” Yixing says. </p>
<p>Sehun looks at him, and Yixing seems to be searching his face, looking for something. Sehun allows him to look, confident that he’s got very little to hide at this point. </p>
<p>“Do you have any questions for me?” Yixing asks. </p>
<p>“If I am permitted to ask them,” Sehun admits.</p>
<p>Yixing turns, and he walks out of the ward. Sehun follows him, used to this kind of thing by now. He is very rarely instructed to follow, merely <i>expected</i> to. </p>
<p>They walk back the way they originally came, and Yixing leads Sehun into his chambers once more. He pours them another glass of the passionflower wine, and it seems even more fragrant and sweet now that it’s had time to breathe. </p>
<p>“You may ask whatever questions you like,” Yixing says with a smile, and he sips from his glass. “This may be a trial, but it is for the good of the people, and so I will make every effort to aid you along the way.” </p>
<p>“B-But I’m not meant to have aid,” Sehun says, eyebrows knitting. “I’m meant to do it on my own.” </p>
<p>“And you will,” Yixing says, “but I won’t stand in your way and I won’t obscure any knowledge that I have. It is in our best interests to work together as much as we can, isn’t it?” </p>
<p>“I suppose, yes.” </p>
<p>“Is this a different experience?” Yixing asks, tilting his head, glass hanging from his hand casually. </p>
<p>“In truth, yes.” </p>
<p>“How so?” </p>
<p>“The light god…” </p>
<p>“He is a good man,” Yixing smiles, “deep down within... past all the mischief.” </p>
<p>Sehun aims his smile down at his wine, and he doesn't offer anymore. </p>
<p>“I will tell you this,” Yixing says suddenly, the clink of the glass on the table enough to jolt Sehun’s attention, “the Ivy Skin possesses the same camouflage capabilities as the young snake you saw.” </p>
<p>“So I won’t be able to see it coming,” Sehun says. “W-What about the gloves you wore?” </p>
<p>“A good thought,” Yixing says, “but the snake, at its most powerful, in its adult form… it’s much too strong. The toxin will bleed through them.” </p>
<p>Sehun frowns. “Well, there must be a cure. There must be a way to… to stop the venom.” </p>
<p>“There are mere minutes between the infection and death,” Yixing says. “Would you like my advice?” </p>
<p>“I very much would,” Sehun says, and the wine courses through him, his eyes heavy. </p>
<p>“Find the terrible thing and sever its head before it can touch you,” Yixing says. </p>
<p>Sehun bites his lip, but he nods. He will trust in Yixing. After all, there is very little reason not to trust his insight.  </p>
<p>“I should go,” Sehun says, standing from the table, hand on his bag. “The road is long behind, but even longer ahead.” </p>
<p>“Stay the night,” Yixing says. “It is more dangerous in the evening.” </p>
<p>“Why do you say that?” </p>
<p>“In the light, you can see the glimmer of the Ivy Skin’s invisibility,” Yixing says. “You’ll need all the sun you can get.” </p>
<p>“Would that I had the glimmerstone,” Sehun scoffs. </p>
<p>Yixing throws his head back with a laugh. “I think now that he’s gotten it back, he’ll never let it out of his sight.” </p>
<p>Sehun smiles. “I’m sorry for imposing on you.” </p>
<p>“It is nothing,” Yixing says. “Rest here. I will have someone rouse you just before sunrise.” </p>
<p>The wine goes to Sehun’s head as he goes to the bed. He lies on the mattress, head spinning and eyes weak. He closes them just a little, everything swimming inside him. It reminds him of the feeling of floating in water, and it makes him think of Junmyeon’s arms. </p>
<p><i>What might he be doing right now,</i> Sehun wonders. <i>At this very moment, does he think of me too?</i></p>
<p>“Are you already asleep?” Yixing teases. </p>
<p>Sehun opens his eyes, sees Yixing gathering the glasses and the bottle of passionflower wine. </p>
<p>“Where will you stay?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“Ah, you wouldn’t like me to stay with you if you intend to pledge your eternity to Suho,” Yixing smiles. “Haven’t you heard? I’m quite the lover.” </p>
<p>“Are you all so forward?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>Yixing shrugs his shoulder. “We have had a long time to taste the pleasures of humanity, and still, we do not tire of your mortal sweetness.” </p>
<p>Sehun sighs as he cuddles into the bed, comfortable in the most basic, satisfying kind of way. </p>
<p>Yixing closes the curtains behind him, the gentle breeze sending Sehun to the easiest night’s sleep he’s ever had.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> ☵ </p>
</div><p>He is gently nudged awake in the morning, and when he squints his eyes, he is alarmed by the way the sun didn’t stir him.</p><p>The girl who brings his breakfast is sweet, and she points him towards the table, a platter of freshly cut fruit, melons and citrus and plenty of berries too, a bowl of honey-sweetened oats, and a glass of what looks to be juice. When he sips from it, he realizes that it is actually hibiscus tea. It is cold and refreshing, and he drinks it very quickly before he is poured another glass. </p>
<p>When he is finished and the bounty is cleared from him, he sees something on the other side of the table. Metallic. Shining in the morning sun. </p>
<p><i>When did that get here,</i> he wonders. </p>
<p>He walks around the table to once again behold the sword, the ceremonial sword. He brushes his fingertips over the hilt, transfixed by the gemstones. There is a note next to it. Sehun turns from the weapon in favor of the letter, unfurling it gently so he can read: </p>
<p>
  <i>Hero, </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>The kingdom demands my presence this morning, so take this letter as a sign of my blessings. I bestow upon you the ancient sword of Curolis in the hopes that it will aid you on your quest. </i>
</p>
<p><i>Take care, and return without the queen's red necklace.</i> </p>
<p>Yixing’s signature is scrawled across the bottom, and Sehun takes the sword in both hands, whipping it around like a fool. He’s never held something so sharp. He hopes he doesn’t impale himself on it. </p>
<p>The girl appears at the parted curtains. </p>
<p>“Will you require anything else?” she asks. </p>
<p>“No, I think I’ll be going now,” Sehun smiles. “Um… would you pass along my thanks to his grace?” </p>
<p>The girl smiles and bows, and Sehun leaves through the veranda. </p>
<p>The jungle is wild, and it’s already alive in the morning. He looks out into the deepness, the darkness, and his stomach rises inside him. He must vanquish the evil, else be vanquished himself.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hello friends! another week, another trial for our super aegi baby. i hope u enjoyed this first installment of the second trial,,, part two will be up on wednesday and part three will be up on friday! lets do well this week! [pumps fist wildly] </p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/okamiwind">my twitter</a> | <a href="https://curiouscat.me/okamiwind">my curiouscat</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. the slaying of the ivy skin, part two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The forest is shimmering in the mid-morning light, and in any other circumstance, Sehun thinks that he would probably be quite happy to be there. The birds are brightly colored as they fly in storms overhead, bright orange and red, their wings flapping through the damp air. Bugs with iridescent, nearly transparent wings flutter from nests in the strong trees, each trunk as wide as a barrel and tall enough to scrape its leaves against the happy blue sky. </p>
<p>The canopy of the jungle is thick, but there are some clearings where Sehun can see up to the clouds. He reminds himself that he’ll need to keep track of where he is and how to get back. The jungles of Curolis are small in size but dense, and they can swallow twenty men whole, he’s heard. </p>
<p>For each tree that Sehun passes, he slices a notch across the thick bark. That way, he reasons, if he needs to retrace his steps or he’s worried he’s lost his way, all he’ll need to look for is the notches. </p>
<p>Feeling rather proud of himself for the ingenious plan, Sehun wanders through the jungle as he looks for hints of the Ivy Skin, dancing between the spots of thick black dark and the rare glimpses of golden light. </p>
<p>There are plenty of things to forage in the jungle, but for the first day, Sehun eats himself full of the apples from Junmyeon. He simmers them in a small pot from his pack over the fire for supper, and their sweetness bubbles along the metal. They are soft and delicious, and in the night, he is reminded of the bite of Junmyeon’s love, the tenderness of his flesh, and the bright kiss of red dead center on his mouth.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> ☵ </p>
</div><p>In the morning, he finds the ancient sword fallen to his side, and he quickly grabs it back up, clutching it to his chest. He looks around, eyes darting from side to side, but it seems as though the night was a pleasant one with seemingly no disturbance at all.</p><p>He knows that time is of utmost importance, so he hurries to his feet, breaking his fast once he’s put out his fire. His teeth snap the skin on another apple, and he is down to just two. Perhaps he is overly optimistic but the jungle is not the largest area in the world, no matter how dense with life it might be. He could canvas it in two days, he wagers, though he is still hesitant to wander too far. He does not know what kind of dangers lie too far, and <i>Gods</i>, he would hate to lose his way. If he had to travel by the night… and on the <i>run</i>... he does not like his odds, that’s the say the least of it. </p>
<p>He decides to stay on the south side of the bridge, the great wooden structure that marks the halfway point in the jungle. Surely, he reasons, the Ivy Skin will hear him. He will lure it out, and he will find a way to kill it from there. </p>
<p>Sehun walks, walks, walks, and he thinks back to the look in the dead man’s eyes, the smattered red along his neck. A shiver runs through him as he thinks about their fate. He wishes he had gotten the chance to help sooner. </p>
<p>Junmyeon’s voice bursts into his head. <i>So confident now that you won’t join them? Just days ago, you were begging me to free you from these trials.</i> </p>
<p>A momentary weakness, he tells himself. <i>I am stronger than that. I am resilient, and I was meant for this.</i></p>
<p>He journeys through the jungle, and he keeps those words in his head. If he repeats them to himself, they are true. They will become true. They must.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> ☵ </p>
</div><p>The second day passes, and there is no sign of anything out of the ordinary in the jungle, no matter how far he travels to the west.</p><p>He runs out of Junmyeon’s apples, and he begins to forage for the sweet forest fruits, berries and the like. Eventually, he wanders far enough north that he hits the river running through the jungle. Not only does it remind him to stop, but it also gives him an excellent opportunity to fish. </p>
<p>He steps into the rushing water, feeling a connection to Junmyeon as he snatches a couple red fish from the blue river. He fries them over a fire, speared on skewers, and they taste a lot like home, like childhood… once the rains had fallen, of course. </p>
<p>In the night, he thinks about the way he was chosen. Thousands of people must have prayed for water. Junmyeon never gave until Sehun asked, though. </p>
<p>He was chosen. He was meant for this.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> ☵ </p>
</div><p>Sehun has the distinct feeling that he’s walking in circles through the jungle, and once he stumbles upon a tree that he’s notched with the sword, he knows it for a fact. There is no way that he’s traversed the entire jungle, of course, staying south of the bridge… but knowing that he has to have a way to find his way back to the palace, he’s still a bit scared to venture too far from what he knows.</p><p>At the same turn, it makes little sense to stay where he’s standing, waiting for an enemy that will take his life without another thought, and retracing his steps has gotten him no closer to his goal.</p>
<p>He must go deeper. He must stray further and further, no matter what fear his heart clings to. </p>
<p>Parting the flora that stands in his way, he dips deeper into the jungle, the detritus underfoot crunching and cracking as he goes. He journeys for the better part of the day, and his stomach is beginning to ache with the need to eat, so once more, he takes from the river, eating until he’s full. </p>
<p>When he walks over the bridge, the wood creaks under his feet. It is not <i>magicked</i> in any sort of way, just a normal bridge, but there is something distinctly lovely about it, the large beams of the tree trunks bound by woven vines, worn nearly black by time and the spray of river water. Flowering, moss-like plants climb and creep over the wood slats, and he takes his time to cross, the babbling current underneath distracting and devious. </p>
<p>When he makes it to the far north, he immediately feels the difference in the air. It is even warmer than before, the air more moist, and he dabs at the back of his neck with his sleeve as he wanders forward. The plants are even more vibrantly colored as he wanders, rich greens and blues and violets, rare pinks and yellows and oranges dotting the horizon line. </p>
<p>He nearly stops for supper as he continues to make his way through, stomach beginning to pang with pain, but he is beginning to worry. The days are slipping past him now, one after another. He needs a sign, a clue, <i>anything</i>. </p>
<p>And that’s when he sees it. The swelling, swirling grey smoke. </p>
<p>His heart tenses in his chest. It is no wildfire. It is a man-made fire. Controlled. </p>
<p>He knows that he is close, but to what, he is not sure. </p>
<p>Sehun chases the smoke forward because he knows that where there is smoke, there must be fire. He follows it as best he can, dancing through the trees. Excitedly, he jogs through, almost to the point where he feels like he is <i>part</i> of this jungle now. </p>
<p>And then, when his feet feel almost too tired to carry him any further, his foot pulls from underneath him. Within the next second, he is flung into the air by his foot, hauled upside down and dangling from the thickest vine he’s ever seen. He screeches, furiously clutching at his waist, but the ancient sword of Curolis has fallen to the floor of the jungle. </p>
<p><i>Lot of good it’s done me,</i> Sehun thinks helplessly. </p>
<p>Sehun uses his abdominal strength to pull himself up to examine the looped vine around his ankle. He struggles as he tries to keep his body from swinging in the air, so eventually, exhausted, he lets himself fall back down. The blood rushes to his head, and he closes his eyes, trying to gather what’s left of his stamina. </p>
<p><i>Think of Junmyeon,</i> he tells himself, the panic rising within him. <i>Imagine him calling you weak, and you shall find the strength.</i> </p>
<p>Sehun has just gathered the strength to pull himself back up to look at his leg when he hears the snapping of branches, the crunching of dirt. </p>
<p>“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” </p>
<p>Sehun stops flailing in the air long enough to see the man who emerges from the shadows of the wood. </p>
<p>It is a man with a black beard, a man painted with a bright red substance, a man that smells… but he does not smell of the jungle. <i>No,</i> Sehun thinks, narrowing his eyes, <i>this is a familiar stench. This is a smell I grew up with. This is a man that smells like the floor of a fish boat. This is the metallic scent of fish blood.</i> </p>
<p>“Let me down,” Sehun says hurriedly. “Don’t eat me.” </p>
<p>“<i>Eat you</i>,” the man scoffs. “I’m not going to <i>eat you</i>. I was trying to eat <i>the ghost of the jungle</i>, but you don’t look anything like an ursakir.” </p>
<p>“I’m not,” Sehun says. “In truth, sir, I do not know what the ursakir is.” </p>
<p>“Not familiar to these jungles?” the man says, beard moving with a smile as he steps forward with a small knife. </p>
<p>“No, sir,” Sehun says. “First sennight, if you’d believe.” </p>
<p>“Hold yourself still,” he advises, and he reaches up with the knife. Sehun instinctively flinches, and the man scoffs again. “I said <i>still</i>.” </p>
<p>With a casual flick of his wrist, he severs the thick vine that held Sehun aloft. Sehun tumbles to the earth, falling onto his shoulder in an awkward, painful manner. He whines as he gets himself to his feet, and the man leaves without another word. </p>
<p>“S-Sir!” Sehun calls. </p>
<p>The man does not turn around to answer. “What?” </p>
<p>“Where are you going?” </p>
<p>“Back to my camp,” the man says, and he turns, hand scratching at his beard. “You coming?” </p>
<p>Curious and still nursing an ache in his shoulder, Sehun steps forward, following the man towards the source of the smoke. </p>
<p>He was not very far off, but as they move closer and closer towards the fire, they pass more and more traps. The man with the beard swings out wide as he passes them by so as to not disturb anything and accidentally trip them. Sehun follows suit as he lags behind. </p>
<p>He is led to a rather small campsite, a simple bonfire and a lean-to that’s been lifted off the ground by a several inch high platform of wood beams. There is a small knapsack, though it looks to be empty, and strung between the trees, there is a dark cloth pinned to dry as if recently washed. </p>
<p>The man sits by the fire, a thick log acting as a stool. He takes a stick, begins to poke at the kindling. Sehun stands there and watches for a moment, waiting for the silence to shatter. It always does. </p>
<p>“What’s your purpose here?” the man asks. </p>
<p>“I’m sorry?” </p>
<p>“Your purpose,” he says, gesturing with his hands, and it calls attention to the streaks of red across his skin, streaks that look much too bright red to be blood. “No one comes here without purpose.” </p>
<p>“Perhaps I was only admiring the beauty,” Sehun suggests. </p>
<p>The man rolls his eyes. </p>
<p>“Spare me the pretty falsehoods,” he says, and it sends Sehun spiraling into memory, the phantom pain of the sword of light slicing through him. </p>
<p>“I-I was sent here,” Sehun admits. </p>
<p>“For what reason?” </p>
<p>“I am to slay the Ivy Skin.” The man shakes his head, and Sehun frowns. “What?”</p>
<p>“Boy, you don’t know what you’re looking after,” the man with the beard, the man that stinks of fish blood says. “You don’t know what that girl is capable of.” </p>
<p>“I have seen the deaths,” Sehun says, squinting. “I know the capabilities of the snake.” </p>
<p>“Her venom is in her skin,” he warns, and he pokes at the fire again. “Once she touches you, it’s all over.” </p>
<p>“I know it well, sir,” Sehun says, and he shows the man with the beard the length of his sword. “Yixing has bestowed upon me the ancient—” </p>
<p>“Sword of Curolis,” the man says, nodding. “That he has.” </p>
<p>Strangely, Sehun feels compelled to listen to the man, so he sits on the log on the opposite side of the fire, staring through the flicking tongues of scarlet, amber, and gold. </p>
<p>“Deemed me worthy?” the man asks. </p>
<p>“I have not deemed you anything, sir.” </p>
<p>“But you’ve decided you’ll listen,” the man says, and he adjusts himself on his log. “Very well. My name is Il.” </p>
<p>“Il?” Sehun asks. “Just Il?” </p>
<p>“Just Il,” he replies, and he stokes the fire again, sending a column of sparks up into the air. </p>
<p>“A-All right,” Sehun says. “Il…” </p>
<p>“There is no way to tame that beast,” Il says, “nor is there any way to kill it. You’ve been sent on a fool’s errand, boy.” </p>
<p>“It is my quest,” Sehun says, and he lays the sword across his knees delicately. “This is what I am meant to do.” </p>
<p>“I suggest you choose a new destiny then, because all that awaits you is a painful death.” <i>Painful?</i> “Yes, boy, I see the look on your face. I see the fear. It is nothing but pain, to die by the Regareptia’s coil.” </p>
<p>“Y-You mean the Ivy Skin?” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“Call her whatever you like,” Il says. “Doesn’t change that when she comes for you, she will get you. And it might look quick and easy, but it doesn’t feel that way. No, I tell you that much.” </p>
<p>“What does it feel like?” Sehun asks, the curiosity getting the better of him. </p>
<p>Il looks him over. “Where are you from?” </p>
<p>Sehun is taken aback by the question, but he answers. “I-I am from across the world, sir. F-From Riverside.” </p>
<p>“Then you must swim,” Il says. “Father teach you when you were just a boy?” </p>
<p>“Yes, sir.” </p>
<p>Il looks into the distance, something hanging on his shoulders. “Her death… it’s a lot like drowning. Only your lungs aren’t filling up with water. They fill up with fire.” </p>
<p>Sehun leans closer, the heat of the fire making his skin go wet and itchy. He swipes at his brow, brushing the sweat away. </p>
<p>“Fire?” </p>
<p>“It claws its way up your throat,” Il tells him. “It festers… blisters. And when the blisters burst, you choke on your own infection, on the venom sacs that have gone yellow with pus.” </p>
<p>Sehun winces, and he brings his hand to rub his throat. Something about the description makes his own throat ache, pulsing with pain. </p>
<p>“H-How do you know all this?” </p>
<p>Il smiles, and it makes the hair on his face move. </p>
<p>“Are you as daft as you look? I was bitten.” He lifts his simple shirt, and across his stomach, there is a littering of hole marks. “Thrice. I <i>survived</i>.” He shakes his head. “Don’t ask anymore foolish questions.” </p>
<p>Sehun’s tongue is numbed into silence for a moment or two, but when he can feel it again, he immediately launches into his line of questioning. </p>
<p>“W-What do you mean, you survived? I thought no one had survived an attack? Did you have a weapon with you? What kind of ancient magic does the beast know? Can you give me any ad—”</p>
<p>“It was a freak thing,” Il says, and he waves his hand through the air. “Some trick that the titans were playing with me. I confess, I know not what they meant to do with me, only that I was given a second chance at life.” He nods. “From now on, I said, I said I would stay away from things like that snake. I wouldn’t go sticking my nose where it didn’t belong.” He points at Sehun sharply with the stick. “I’d warn you to do the same.” </p>
<p>“Where were you?” Sehun asks, dizzy with desire to learn. “Tell me where the incident occurred.” Sehun tilts his head, trying to understand. “And what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in the palace?” </p>
<p>Il scoffs. “What would they do in the palace?” </p>
<p>“Help you,” Sehun says. “Isn’t it obvious?” </p>
<p>“They are not there to help someone like me,” Il says. “Certainly not.” </p>
<p>“Why wouldn’t they?” </p>
<p>“No, you mean <i>why wouldn’t he?</i>” Il says. “Isn’t that what you mean? Why wouldn’t <i>Yixing?</i>” </p>
<p>“Well, I suppose,” Sehun says, frowning. “Isn’t it all the same?” </p>
<p>“No,” Il says. “No, it isn’t. But you are still so naive now. You do their bidding thoughtlessly, and you betray your own kind.” </p>
<p>“I have not betrayed my kind,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“You sully the beauty of mortality with foolish quests, with the <i>trials</i>,” Il says. “Just as I have sullied the beauty by living.” </p>
<p>“It was not a terrible thing,” Sehun whispers. “It was fate. The guiding hands of time have brought me here to you so that we might do something <i>wonderful</i> together.” </p>
<p>Il stares at him, sighing. “As you say.” </p>
<p>“Then you’ll help me?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“I’ll give you this, and this alone,” Il says. “It was the very heart of the jungle. It was dead center, halfway through. If you’ve crossed the bridge on the way back to the palace, then you’ve gone too far. That’s where it happened. That’s where I was attacked. The trees… they are thinner there. Weaker. I imagine it has something to do with her venom.” </p>
<p>Sehun is filled with the singular sensation of purpose, warm and energizing. He leaps to his feet, overjoyed, and he takes Il’s hands in his own, though he assumes from the way Il angles himself backwards, it is against Il’s will. </p>
<p>“You will never forget this, sir,” Sehun promises. “You have done humanity a great service today.” </p>
<p>“I hope so, boy,” Il says. “Fetch me when the filthy work is done. I’d like to see the queen cut in two, if I could.” </p>
<p>Sehun nods, and he takes for the heart of the jungle, the deep pulsing fate that pulls him forward.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> ☵ </p>
</div><p>The directions are clear, but it is not so easy to follow them. It is only his sixth day in the jungle, and he has not yet become accustomed to journeying through her twisting, turning paths. In a way, it reminds him greatly of Junmyeon’s palace. Perhaps he ought to start notching the paintings there so that he can find his way back to Junmyeon’s bed. He smiles to himself, thinking of Junmyeon’s face.</p><p>He hits the bridge, and he turns back whence he came. Cursing, he looks left and right. Circling, circling. </p>
<p>It is then that he sees the trees. And Il’s descriptions are apt. In the jungle full of thick, strong trees, these are thinner, even raillike when he steps closer towards them. They go thinner and thinner as he walks deeper into that part of the jungle, what Il called <i>the heart</i> and eventually, they are so thin that Sehun could wrap his hand around the trunk of one and be able to close his fingers. </p>
<p>He stares up to the clear blue sky, and he tries to remember the last time he saw the clouds. He needs to hurry. He needs to get back to Junmyeon. </p>
<p>Sehun looks around frantically as he begins to search for something, <i>anything</i>. And then, a beam of light from the heavens shining down on a smattering of flowers, the petals sharp and long. Each flower is deep red, so red it almost looks black, and it gives the illusion of black stars unfurling, revealing a spotted red center, a little lighter than the rest. </p>
<p>Sehun leans down, transfixed by the beauty, and when he does, he catches a scent. A familiar scent. </p>
<p>He looks around, expecting to see Il at his back, but there is no one to be found. </p>
<p>Sehun crouches down to the flowers, and he sees one bleeding from one of the low-lying leaves. He squints. It is not blood, but it is so vibrantly red. So thick and… and <i>pungent</i>.</p>
<p>The leaves are bright red when he cuts them open with the sword, and when Sehun lifts the tip of the plant to his nose, he smells it. The stench of Il. The smell of home. </p>
<p>It smells like fish blood. </p>
<p>It was on him, thick and viscous. He was coated in it. Could that be the secret? </p>
<p>Sehun takes the leaves' bright red blood, and he streaks it over his skin, hoping that some of the same divine providence seeps into his flesh and protects him the same as it protected Il. </p>
<p>He turns, the red painted across his face and his neck, down his chest, and he hears the strangest sound. </p>
<p>Rattling. Gentle, cautious rattling. </p>
<p>Immediately, his stomach flips over and over again inside him. He knows the sound of a snake when he hears one, but last he knew, the Ivy Skin was not a rattler. </p>
<p>Sehun looks to his left to see the little rattlesnake zipping past him, as if terrified. It does not even give him a second glance as it goes, and Sehun’s brows knit together as he wonders what could have sent it off in such a hurry. </p>
<p>Of course, there is but one answer to that question. But is he ready? Has he prepared himself enough? He looks to his reflection in the bright silver of the ancient sword of Curolis, and he is painted with red. He barely recognizes himself, but in a way… isn’t that what this is all meant for? He is not supposed to be the person he once was. He is to become someone entirely new. </p>
<p>Will Junmyeon love him after he’s changed? After he’s broken and put back together again? <i> The change or the stagnation, it matters not</i>, Sehun thinks. <i>Junmyeon will have to love me. We are split from the same soul. We are part of the universe’s creation. We build new worlds of love, and we are the only gods of those worlds.</i></p>
<p>Sehun walks in the direction that the little scared rattlesnake came from, keeping as quiet as he can possibly manage. He slows himself down to a crawl as a gentle breeze rustles through the wood, and he moves only when it feels absolutely necessary. He does not know what he’s looking for, does not know what he’ll find. His hand wraps around the hilt of the sword tighter, fingers squeezing helplessly as he imagines what lies in wait. </p>
<p>He steps forward into the unknown, and what he finds is alarming. A gaping hole, something that could swallow him if it wanted. He steps closer to investigate, and he narrows his eyes to get a better look. His heart hammers inside his neck, in his ears. </p>
<p>Deep within the earth, there is a hole as wide as the mouth of the river back home. Sehun has only a moment to think wistfully about the river, about the currents and the god that brings them, before he notes something equal parts spectacular and terrifying. </p>
<p>There are several black eggs, a clutch of six or seven, and Sehun’s eyes waver as he stares at them. He blinks to clear the fog from his vision, but it doesn’t clear. Only… dances. Moving left to right, right to left. </p>
<p>At first, he has no idea what’s happening to him, his eyes struggling to lock onto the eggs, but it hits him much like the sun strikes the flesh, with an eager warmth. </p>
<p>He is staring at the shimmer of an invisible skin. </p>
<p>He has found the eggs under a sleeping mother. </p>
<p>His eyes grow wide, filled with fear.  </p>
<p>He has stumbled upon the den of the beast.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>one of those chapters that i felt ultra-confident with, but now ,,,, not so much klsadlkjg. still, we soldier on. i hope you enjoyed. next part on friday. this week is really swimming by, huh! i have to say, i really like this style of updating because it makes me feel Normal and good. i hope it gives your life a little bit of structure too ,,, amidst all this chaos and turmoil. </p>
<p>okie dokie, folks. see you soon. take care and all that jazz!!!! </p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/okamiwind">my twitter</a> | <a href="https://curiouscat.me/okamiwind">my curiouscat</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. the slaying of the ivy skin, part three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The fear that runs through him beads up along his skin like hot sweat, and he takes a quick step back, both hands clutching helplessly around the hilt of the sword. </p>
<p>He backs up, trying to hide between the tree trunks, but they’re much too thin. And already, he hears the stirring of the snake. He was too loud. Even the sound of his breathing was enough to rouse her. </p>
<p>His body thrums with chaotic, frantic energy as he stands there frozen, so scared of the beast that raises its gargantuan head that he can barely breathe. The Ivy Skin sheds her invisible skin, revealing her massive body to him. He has never seen anything close to the immense size of the creature, and its long tongue flickers out of its mouth, teasing and taunting. </p>
<p>He has no plan, he has given himself no real preparation. He is charging in blindly, hoping to all the gods that they’ll preserve him long enough to see himself home back to Junmyeon's arms.</p>
<p>Sehun knows that eventually his luck will run out. He just hopes it doesn’t run out today. </p>
<p>For a moment, he is rooted in the earth as he watches the Ivy Skin creep closer and closer, and then, something terrible surges through his blood. He knows he must run. He <i>knows</i> he must, but for some strange reason, his body won’t move, not even when he asks. </p>
<p>The snake rears back, wiggling from side to side as its tongue flickers out, and <i>oh gods</i>, Sehun thinks, <i>I could die here.</i> </p>
<p>The Ivy Skin darts forward like a bolt of lightning, and Sehun only has a moment to react, leaping to the side as he waves his sword haplessly and inelegantly. It is much too fast for him, much too capable. He doesn’t have many options in terms of how to fight. He has a sword that he has never used before, and he is not allowed to touch the damned thing.</p>
<p>How, then, is he supposed to get close enough to cut the snake’s head off? </p>
<p>He has little time to formulate a plan, because instead of giving him the opportunity to think, the Ivy Skin begins to strike wildly as if <i>threatened</i>. Sehun runs as fast as he can, jumping and leaping from side to side, and together, they move through the jungle, Sehun putting as much distance between himself and the den as he possibly can. </p>
<p>He dances through the rail thin trees, the stench of fish blood thick in the air. He runs, chest aching as his breath comes harsher and harsher, and then… <i>gods</i>, he is dead. He turns, sees the great beast slithering towards him, and his skin crawls. </p>
<p>Suddenly, horribly, he is falling. </p>
<p>Tripping on the vines tangling at the foot of the trees, he falls to the earth, holding the sword up above him so that he doesn’t fall onto it. He holds it over him as the snake looms high in the air, as everything goes dark and sad. His heart sitting in his mouth, his hands shaking as he hangs onto the sword for his life… </p>
<p>It is only a split second, but even as he tries desperately to wrench himself backwards, he knows that he will be touched. The snake’s venom will seep into his skin, and he will die a painful death. Of that, there is no doubt. He wishes he had another moment to steel himself for the inevitable end, but there is only a vague sort of regret, a distant pulling in his chest, a thought of <i>Oh, I wish I could touch him one last time.</i></p>
<p>The Ivy Skin hisses in pain as its flesh swipes against Sehun’s arm, against the bright blood of the leaves, and Sehun’s eyes widen as he is given his second, third or fourth chance at life. Overcome with relief, he laughs out, a sharp and silly sound in the middle of all this chaos. It is not just protective. It is just as offensive as it is defensive. It hurts the creature. He could do this. He <i>could.</i> </p>
<p>Sehun sprints away as the Ivy Skin wrenches itself left and right, twisting in pain, and he puts as much distance as he can between himself and the creature before hurriedly reassessing with the new knowledge presented to him. </p>
<p>He hurriedly hurls the sword to the ground before beginning to scrape as much of the leaf blood onto his hands as he can manage. He rubs his hands together, and he gingerly coats the length of the blade in red. Holding the blade by the hilt, it nearly slips from his hand. The leaf blood is so thick and viscous, it makes it hard to grip the sword. He would worry over it, but he doesn’t have much time. </p>
<p>The snake does not give him that freedom. </p>
<p>The Ivy Skin slams itself into one of the rail trees, and it snaps clean in half. Sehun runs, half-mad, drawing the snake back over towards the sturdier trees. It is faster than him, closing the gap between them easily, and though he is unsure, he supposes he has no other option. He needs to climb. </p>
<p>He’s never been a great climber before, and the leaf blood on his hands makes it difficult. <i>What other choice do I have,</i> he wonders, struggling his way up the trunk as the Ivy Skin begins to coil itself around the base of the rubber tree. </p>
<p>It chases him up the tree, the sick sound of the snake wrapping around itself as it moves up and up. He does not allow himself to look back, because he knows exactly what he would see. He is losing ground to this beast, and he is not totally covered, not totally protected. He could die within an instant. Each moment could be his last. Perhaps his luck is running out. Perhaps he never had much to begin with.</p>
<p>He climbs, climbs, climbs, and his hands ache as he tries to keep hold of the sword while he hoists himself up, up, up. Faster and faster, he attempts to move, but with one wrong move, he will slip, he will fall, and he will die. </p>
<p>He shuts his eyes, and he moves, doesn’t let himself think any longer about the end. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, it is not long before he hears the cracking of the trunk, the furious squeezing of the Ivy Skin, the queen of her kind, the force of a thousand gales beating down upon the earth. Sehun looks down, and he knows that a fall from such a height would mean the shattering of his legs in the best case and his death in the worst. </p>
<p>It is his last stand, he realizes. He will either live or he will die, and it is his decision to make. </p>
<p>He draws breath, a strong inhale as he gets air from the top of the tree. It is so much sweeter here, he thinks, shutting his eyes. Cleaner, somehow. </p>
<p>He squeezes the sword in his hand, and with a great exhalation, he lets go. Fear, suffering, anxiety and apprehension. It is no more. There is only the sweet, clean air. The feeling of flying. </p>
<p>With fury, with vengeance, with all the aim he can manage, Sehun leaps from the tree, the ancient sword of Curolis glimmering and glowing blue with magic in his hands. He swings the sword in a wild arc as he falls through the air, and in that arc, the blue blade slices clean through the neck of the Ivy Skin, the head falling to the earth with a defiant, declarative <i>boom</i>. </p>
<p>Sehun falls to the ground, the body of the snake curling around him as his ankles and shin screech with the pain of his impact. But oh, it is done, he thinks happily, clutching his shattered leg as he cries with joy. <i>It is done</i>.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> ☵</p>
</div><p>Sehun wakes, the knowledge of his situation settling in slowly: he is being moved.</p><p>He flails around, trying to grab for the sword, but a hand holds him by the shoulder. </p>
<p>“Rest, young hero,” a scratchy voice says, and when Sehun turns to look, Il is there, hand braced on Sehun. “You did it. You actually fucking did it.” </p>
<p>“Thank the gods,” Sehun exhales, and he sinks back onto the stretcher that moves him. “I thought I was dreaming.” </p>
<p>Il smiles, and his beard moves. Sehun finds that supremely charming. </p>
<p>“It was not a dream,” Il confirms, and he removes his hand, staring out at the jungle as Sehun’s body is carried. “I saw the gruesomeness with my own eyes.” He nods towards Sehun with another smile. “A clean strike.” </p>
<p>“I did my best,” Sehun says, voice weak as he moves himself, the pain shooting through him. “H-How did you find me?” </p>
<p>“<i>Find you</i>,” Il scoffs. “You nearly brought the ol’ girl back to me. Trying to get me killed a second time, were you?” </p>
<p>Sehun smiles. “No, sir.” </p>
<p>“Remind me never to trust you.” </p>
<p>“I handled it, didn’t I?” Sehun says. “I told you I would.” </p>
<p>“Ah, so you have,” Il says. “So you have.” </p>
<p>“H-How am I moving?” Sehun asks, and he ferrets himself to the side to try and spy who is carrying him. </p>
<p>“Rest, young one,” Il commands, and he feeds Sehun something, something that makes him drowsy and relaxed. “Rest now. You’ve done your work, and you've done it well.”<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> ☵</p>
</div><p>When Sehun wakes next, he is wrapped in blankets. Instinctively, he tests his leg. He feels no pain. <i>Is it medicine, or have I been healed?</i></p><p>“You’re awake.” </p>
<p>Sehun jolts up, the covers falling to his waist. Yixing is there, sitting at the end of the bed. He aims a smile at Sehun, exceedingly handsome, and Sehun feels himself soften, the stress rolling off his shoulders and down his back. </p>
<p>“How are you feeling?” Yixing asks, and he pats Sehun on his covered foot. “How is your leg?” </p>
<p>“It feels… it feels fine,” Sehun says. “As if nothing had happened.” </p>
<p>“Excellent to hear,” Yixing says. “I worked on you myself. The leg was completely shattered, but I fixed you quite nicely, if I don’t say so myself.” </p>
<p>Sehun bows his head. “Thank you, your grace.” </p>
<p>“What did I tell you?” </p>
<p>“T-Thank you,” Sehun amends. </p>
<p>“I think I should be thanking <i>you</i>,” Yixing says. “You have performed beyond my expectations.” </p>
<p>“Did you expect me to die?” Sehun asks with a smile. </p>
<p>“Well, it has killed more men than I’ve ever seen before,” Yixing says. “The odds were, unfortunately, not in your favor.” </p>
<p>“Odds mean little to me.” </p>
<p>“So they do,” Yixing whispers in awe. “You will take to immortality well, I think.” </p>
<p>“What makes you say that?” </p>
<p>Yixing shrugs. “You speak like one of us. As though your life is a never-ending day.” </p>
<p>“It certainly feels that way sometimes,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>Yixing smiles at him, withdrawing his hand and tucking it neatly in his lap. Sehun adjusts himself against the pillows, sitting up a bit so that he can look upon Yixing properly. </p>
<p>“Would you do me a favor?” Yixing asks softly. </p>
<p>“After the favor I just did for you?” Sehun asks, and it makes Yixing smile. “Though, yes, I suppose now there is little I could not do for you.” </p>
<p>“Tell me how it happened,” he requests. </p>
<p>“W-Well, it happened as you might imagine,” Sehun says. “I cut the thing’s head off.” </p>
<p>“With the sword?” </p>
<p>“A dagger might have taken a bit longer,” Sehun smiles. </p>
<p>Yixing looks back, nodding towards the attendant at the door. “Fetch the blade.” </p>
<p>They wait in silence as the ancient sword is brought to them, no longer glowing as it did in the jungle, cutting through the snake. It is merely drenched in the Ivy Skin’s blood, in leaf’s blood, still thick and viscous and sheathing the blade. </p>
<p>“Oh,” Yixing says, eyes growing wide. “It was the fanglily… the jungle’s antidote.” </p>
<p>“The <i>what?</i>” Sehun asks, and when Yixing waves the sword forward, almost as if he meant to <i>touch</i> Sehun with it, Sehun leans backwards fiercely, still drenched in the red blood of the leaf, the white blood of the Ivy Skin. “Explain.” </p>
<p>“The… the red,” Yixing says, pointing to Sehun’s face.</p>
<p>“The blood of the plant?” </p>
<p>“It is a medicinal plant, the fanglily,” Yixing says. “Hard to stabilize, though… oftentimes when you want to use it, it will simply melt in your hands” and he looks Sehun over in awe. “Curious, strange... these things don’t even begin to describe you.” </p>
<p>“It was… It was <i>spilling</i> out of the plants,” Sehun says as though Yixing is being foolish, “you only need to cut the leaves in two.” </p>
<p>Yixing looks at the sword, the tip still dried with the Ivy Skin’s blood. “Ah. The sword.” Yixing bows slowly to Sehun. “You have my utmost gratitude.” He stands, smiling at Sehun. “Not only have you done as you were asked and slain a creature most foul, but you have given me new ways to heal.” </p>
<p>“I-It was nothing,” Sehun says, and then suddenly, he thinks back to Il. “A-Actually, there is someone you should thank. More than me even!” </p>
<p>“Oh?” Yixing smiles. “Have a helper?” </p>
<p>“A man called Il,” Sehun says, and Yixing’s smile fades. “A man with a great black beard. He was living near the northeastern edge of the jungle.” </p>
<p>“Yes,” Yixing says. “He came to the palace, and he asked for help on your behalf.” </p>
<p>“Oh,” Sehun says. “T-That makes sense.” He frowns. “He was living there for years, I think.” </p>
<p>“I know,” Yixing says.</p>
<p>“W-Well, if you have affection for me, then please let him stay.” </p>
<p>“<i>Let</i> him stay,” Yixing laughs. “He does not want to stay, sweet child. He wants to live in the wilds. It is where he is needed, he says.” </p>
<p>“W-Why would he say that?” Sehun asks. “He seemed quite distrustful of you.” </p>
<p>Yixing tilts his head back and forth as if to say <i>so it may be</i>. </p>
<p>“Il was a traveling healer,” Yixing explains. “And when he stumbled into our kingdom, he was bitten.” Yixing sighs. “He was the first to have the red necklace, and he was the only one I was able to heal.” </p>
<p>“A-And so—”</p>
<p>He gives a shrug of his shoulders. “I assume he did not take kindly to the healing. Wanted to die as he was meant to die.” </p>
<p>“But he wouldn’t have died,” Sehun says. “The… f-fanglily, did you say?” Yixing nods.  “You had almost nothing to do with it then, didn’t you? You merely healed what little you could.” </p>
<p>“Men think what they want to think,” Yixing says. “And they hold grudges for longer than they should.” </p>
<p>“Then we have modeled ourselves after our gods,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>Yixing splits into a smile, and he stands, bowing before Sehun. </p>
<p>“I will let you rest now. I’m sure you are weary. Snake-slayer, you are always welcome here in the palace,” Yixing says, bowing his head. “Stay as long as you need.” </p>
<p>“I-If you didn’t mind terribly,” Sehun says hurriedly, sitting up straight, “could I inconvenience you?” </p>
<p>“I sincerely doubt you could inconvenience me now,” Yixing says. “Ask, hero, and if it is within my power, I shall grant your wish.” Sehun stands up, patting the covers of the bed back into place, and Yixing grins widely. “Ah, I understand, of course. I won’t take it as a slight that you won’t be staying, I promise.” </p>
<p>“Thank you,” Sehun smiles. </p>
<p>“It’s always been my wish to reunite a pair of lovers who had been torn asunder,” Yixing says, and he offers Sehun his wrist. “Let’s away, and we might make our wishes come true under the bed of stars.” </p>
<p>Sehun takes Yixing’s hand gratefully, and oh, to be going home… there is no better feeling.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> ☵</p>
</div><p>Sehun falls into the sea, and he has to remember how to breathe. Junmyeon gave him the gift, and it will be his as long as he can keep the memory of it.</p><p>He looks around, trying to place himself within the kingdom. He is just inside the grand hall. It is so familiar now. He knows exactly how to get back to Junmyeon’s chambers… if he is there. </p>
<p>“I must depart,” Yixing says, “though I assume you don’t want me hanging around for long.” </p>
<p>“Your presence is always welcome,” Sehun lies. </p>
<p>“You are so courteous,” Yixing says with a wry smile. “I know how people act when they’re in love. Go to him. I will not keep you any longer.” He bows again, and Sehun bows back. “Farewell. And good luck.” </p>
<p>Sehun barely has the chance to say “Thank you” before Yixing disappears, a cloud bubbling through the water. </p>
<p>Sehun turns back towards the archway, and people keep fluttering by without giving him so much as another glance. Then, of course, one person spots him out of the corner of her eye, mouth falling open. </p>
<p>“Sir,” she says hurriedly. “You’re back.” </p>
<p>“I’m back,” Sehun says weakly. “I… I don’t suppose you could point me towards his grace?” </p>
<p>She takes him by the hand as if he’s about to fall over, and she pulls him towards the hall. </p>
<p>Junmyeon is standing there flanked by attendants, his hands full of letters, eyes wide and beautiful, blinking slowly as if he is trying to clear his visions. </p>
<p>“I don’t hear any songs,” Sehun whispers. </p>
<p>Junmyeon shoves his letters into the hands of the girl at his left, and he leaps over to take Sehun’s hands in his. He pulls Sehun away without another word, dragging him off in the direction Sehun knew they would go. Towards Junmyeon’s chambers. Towards their room. </p>
<p>He closes the door softly behind them, and at last, Sehun thinks gratefully, <i>at last we’re alone again.</i> </p>
<p>“Look at you,” Junmyeon whispers, and he brushes the back of his hand against Sehun’s face. “You are filthy.” </p>
<p>“I’m sorry, my lord, I did not bathe before I came,” Sehun says, thinking of how silly he is, the <i>blood of the fanglily leaves still on his skin</i>. “I could think of nothing besides you. A-And so with haste, I returned to you.” </p>
<p>“So you have,” Junmyeon smiles, and he holds Sehun by the face gently. “Lover, you must know… the waters of your home have already washed you clean.” </p>
<p>Sehun’s mouth falls open, and he wants to collapse, the weight of the world resting on his shoulders as Junmyeon holds him up. He feels filth sitting like a second skin against him, and he needs… needs something. But how could he ask for it? </p>
<p>Junmyeon raises himself up to meet Sehun in a kiss, gentle and coaxing, and Sehun chases him as Junmyeon moves backwards. </p>
<p>“Come now,” Junmyeon says. “I will wash you, if that’s what you so desire.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon offers Sehun his hands, and Sehun takes them, and together they walk through the chambers to the bath. The pool is large, sparkling like an azure moon, and Junmyeon slips out of his robes. The long line of his spine curves as he tilts his hips, skin smooth and flawless as he goes to the edge of the pool. </p>
<p>He steps down inside, turning to bid Sehun entrance. </p>
<p>Sehun pulls himself from his clothes, and Junmyeon watches him hungrily. The flames dance around his feet, red, blue, then white. </p>
<p>Sehun follows Junmyeon once he’s naked, and somehow, he feels enveloped. He is already surrounded by water, and yet sitting in the pool with Junmyeon, he is dipping beneath different waves, something impossible and warm, inviting and tempting. </p>
<p>Junmyeon gently moves Sehun onto the bench along the wall, and Sehun sits as Junmyeon pushes him back by the shoulders. The stone wall is cool against his skin. </p>
<p>Junmyeon effortlessly moves into his embrace, kneeling on the bench to straddle Sehun easily. Sehun’s arms instinctively take Junmyeon around the waist, meeting in the water. It is a lovely, familiar feeling, no less lovely because of its familiarity, but perhaps even lovelier because of it. Junmyeon feels like home. The thing to which Sehun will always return. </p>
<p>“You weathered the storms,” Junmyeon says, and he pets his wet hands through Sehun’s hair, combing it back away from his face. “The feast tomorrow will be the most glorious one you’ve ever seen.” </p>
<p>Sehun’s heart soars inside him. “The feast?” </p>
<p>Junmyeon smiles at him before pressing a warm kiss to his mouth. </p>
<p>“I was instructed to plan a feast,” Junmyeon says, “and so I have.”</p>
<p>“Were you so sure I would return to you?” </p>
<p>“No,” Junmyeon says, and he pulls Sehun’s head back sharply, bearing his throat so that he can suck a kiss to it. “But in the event of your… untimely demise, I was assured that a <i>feast</i> is the only proper way to send you off.” </p>
<p>“And now here I am,” Sehun says. “Sorry to ruin your goodbyes.” </p>
<p>“I’m much more fond of hellos anyway,” Junmyeon says, and his lips move over Sehun’s skin. “I have missed you so.”  </p>
<p>“Not so much as I have missed you,” Sehun promises. </p>
<p>Junmyeon raises himself up, impossibly tall as he stares down at Sehun with the storm and sound raging in his gaze. </p>
<p>“Don’t challenge me, boy. I’ll make you regret the day you were born,” Junmyeon whispers, and his fingers tug at the ends of Sehun’s hair. </p>
<p>“I could never regret living,” Sehun whispers back and he reaches up to brush his fingers along the soft swell of Junmyeon’s cheek. “Not when life has brought you to me.” </p>
<p>He assumed the words would have their normal effect, elicit nothing more than a roll of Junmyeon’s eyes, but this time is different. This time, Junmyeon melts in the embrace, huffing against the hollow of Sehun’s neck. </p>
<p>“Take me, won’t you?” he whispers, and his breath is hot on Sehun’s skin. “It’s been so long, and I’ve been craving you.” </p>
<p>Sehun wants to ask so many questions, but he is afraid of the answers he would receive. <i>Do you keep another lover when I’m gone? Would you love me less if I was here? When all this is over, will your fervor die?</i> </p>
<p>He does not utter a single thought into the air, choosing instead to leave them for another day. There is no turning back, he reminds himself. He has completed two of his trials now. He will not settle for anything less than success. Five more tests stare him dead in the face. If he is to take them on with an open heart, he will need Junmyeon behind him. He does not need these questions. </p>
<p>Sehun kisses Junmyeon well, reminding them both of how delicious love tastes. Junmyeon moves against him, and Sehun thinks himself weak to this kind of torture. He is washed clean, the smell of roses and lavender swirling through the water, and Junmyeon locks them together in a dance for two, twin souls swimming through time. </p>
<p>Junmyeon breathes out his sounds of pleasure as Sehun holds him by the hips, as he rocks himself into Junmyeon. He squeezes his eyes shut, toes curling as he tries to hold himself back. </p>
<p>“N-No,” Junmyeon whispers, and he threads his arms around Sehun’s neck tightly, holding on for dear life. “You must take me as you wish.” </p>
<p>Sehun kisses him before he stands them both up, lifting Junmyeon by the backs of his thighs. Junmyeon crosses his ankles at the small of Sehun’s back, holding him as close as a man can hold another. He feels his blood racing through him as he walks them out of the baths, Junmyeon moaning in his ear as he lays Junmyeon’s body on the bed. </p>
<p>He stares down at him, overwhelmed with the desire to take him and keep taking him, a grotesque love that is unending and unstoppable.  </p>
<p>Junmyeon writhes as Sehun draws himself back, pushing himself back in. Junmyeon throws his head back, the long line of his neck alluring in the middle of the day. Sehun wishes he could keep that image while still covering Junmyeon with his body, but every instinct tells him to get onto the bed, bury his face in Junmyeon’s neck and breathe in the scent of home. </p>
<p>He thrusts his cock into Junmyeon wildly, and he listens as Junmyeon’s sounds go from soft and pleasured to raucous and wild. A blush spreads from his face down his neck, a wildfire of arousal, and Sehun covers it with his mouth, lips sucking and tongue licking over the soft, wet skin. </p>
<p>He wants to be reborn when he’s inside Junmyeon, or at the very least, die inside him. There is nothing like this delight. There is nothing comparable. </p>
<p>Sehun loses track of time, has no grasp of anything except the firing nerves, the shuttling of his hips, the feeling of Junmyeon’s body tight around him. He groans as he fucks Junmyeon harder, takes the impossible concept of <i>more</i>, gives as much as he has to give. </p>
<p>They come together, a moment of utter joy, and Sehun commits it to memory. Junmyeon clings to him as Sehun clings right back, holding each other and holding themselves together. There is a soft moment where they share a breath before Junmyeon pulls him into a chaste kiss, and Sehun collapses off to the side, every fiber of him exhausted. </p>
<p>“Rest for a moment,” Junmyeon says, patting Sehun on the stomach. “We’ve got so much longer to go.” </p>
<p>“Longer?” </p>
<p>“Don’t you remember?” Junmyeon asks. “You said you would fuck me all day and all night.” He swings his legs over, straddling Sehun as he lifts himself up, gently pushing against Sehun’s softening cock. “You promised.” </p>
<p>Sehun bites his lip, and they tangle their fingers together. </p>
<p>“I did, my lord,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“And so you will,” Junmyeon says, tilting his head back with a soft moan falling from his lips. “So you will.”<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> ☵</p>
</div><p>The night creeps around them, the ocean black and blue like a bruise through Junmyeon’s window. He is barely awake, Junmyeon barely awake. They have lived a thousand moments in the few hours since his return, and each of those drenched in sex. Just as he said.</p><p>Junmyeon sighs out as Sehun holds him close, and Sehun gently turns onto his side so that he is angled towards Junmyeon. </p>
<p>“What?” Junmyeon asks. </p>
<p>“It is nothing, my lord,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“Say it plainly.” </p>
<p>“I have nothing to say,” Sehun says. “I believe our bodies did the talking.” </p>
<p>“Funny,” Junmyeon snorts. </p>
<p>The seconds tick by, but Junmyeon has that uncanny way of getting under Sehun’s skin, pinpricks that urge Sehun forward. </p>
<p>“Do you tire of me?” Sehun wonders, fingers stroking through Junmyeon’s hair, growing longer, much as the time between their meetings grows longer. </p>
<p>Junmyeon turns, eyes soft. “Whatever do you mean?” </p>
<p>“Just as I said,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>Junmyeon touches Sehun along the seam of his lips, the movement slow. </p>
<p>“Why do you ask?” </p>
<p>“I want to know,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>Junmyeon smiles. “I know you don’t mean that.” </p>
<p>“You cannot know what I mean or what I do not,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>Junmyeon sighs, a soft, lovely sound, and he curls into Sehun’s arms. Sehun is helpless to him, to the little litheness of his body, to the curves and edges of him. He holds him dearly. </p>
<p>“I miss you when you’re gone, you know,” Junmyeon says. </p>
<p>“That isn’t what I asked.” </p>
<p>“No, but it is an answer all the same,” Junmyeon says. “Do you think I <i>want</i> for anything? Never. Not so long as I’ve lived. I take what I want. No one tells me no.” He tilts his head up, looking into Sehun’s. <i>Look away</i>, Sehun tells himself. <i>It is a trick.</i> “But you tell me no, don’t you?” </p>
<p>“Not purposefully, my lord,” Sehun smiles, overcome with affection for the little river settling in his arms, filling all his channels with water. </p>
<p>“It is always purposeful,” Junmyeon sneers. “You don’t stumble upon blasphemy by <i>accident</i>.” </p>
<p>“Everything I do, I do for the good of us,” Sehun whispers. </p>
<p>“Romance is a silly thing,” Junmyeon says. </p>
<p>Junmyeon gets out of bed, and he goes to a vanity in the corner of the room. There are lines of bottles, and he dances his fingers over them before settling on one, plucking it from the rest. </p>
<p>He uncaps it, dabs some of the liquid behind his ears before returning to the bed. He climbs over the mattress, his arm and leg draped across Sehun’s body as he cuddles back into the warmth. </p>
<p>“Do you know where I am going next?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“Would you believe me if I told you?” </p>
<p>“Will you tell me the truth?” </p>
<p>Junmyeon sits up on his elbow, fingertips stroking along the shadow of Sehun’s collarbones. </p>
<p>“A game,” he suggests. “Decide if I’m telling the truth.” </p>
<p>Sehun leans up on his own elbow, and he presses a soft kiss to Junmyeon’s lips. “All right.” He stares into Junmyeon’s eyes. “Tell me, my lord.” </p>
<p>“You are to journey deep into the frozen tundras of the far north,” Junmyeon says, and he divides the distance between them by half and half again, the words light along Sehun’s lips. “Even the summer snows will freeze your blood like they’ve frozen the lakes. You will try to warm yourself by a bright red fire, but the heat won’t come. You’ll dream of resting safely in my arms because the nights are darker in the north.” </p>
<p>Sehun squints as he studies Junmyeon’s face. He tries to find a crack in the facade, something to slip between, but he can’t find anything to suggest a falsehood. But perhaps that’s the answer? Junmyeon has had so many years to learn how to lie. </p>
<p>“You are lying,” Sehun whispers, and he seals the words with a kiss. </p>
<p>“How did you know?” Junmyeon smiles, the curve spreading across Sehun’s mouth. </p>
<p>“I didn’t,” Sehun whispers. </p>
<p>Junmyeon bites Sehun’s bottom lip between his teeth before pushing him back by the shoulder, plastering him to the bed. </p>
<p>“You’ll pay, rotten boy,” Junmyeon says. </p>
<p>“Will I? I don’t think you could punish me if you tried,” Sehun says softly. </p>
<p>“We shall see,” Junmyeon says. “We’ll see by the end of the evening, fisherboy.” </p>
<p>He kisses Sehun like it has been building within him, a torrential downpour, a great wall of water that crashes over Sehun, over, over and over.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hehe, so thats that..... Sorry if ,,, anticlimactic? writing is hard and life is long. i am going to enjoy this friday despite my reservations abt this chapter, so instead of worrying, i will simply hope that you enjoyed! im excited to share the rest of this silly story hehe. okay. have a good weekend and things, send me a cc if you want to talk about anything, ill be bored later in the day lkjlejkf ok bye ! love you! </p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/okamiwind">my twitter</a> | <a href="https://curiouscat.me/okamiwind">my curiouscat</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. the retrieval of the thunder helm, part one</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It seems like forever ago that he jokingly asked for a feast. </p>
<p>Upon his return, upon the sunrise the following morning, he is informed that there will be a sennight of feast days, all in his name. Junmyeon waves him away as he’s courted off upon the arms of four attendants, and that first morning, he is washed and waxed and plucked and lotioned smooth. He doesn’t know that he’s ever felt softer, not in his whole life. </p>
<p>“Well, I couldn’t have you smelling like fish blood, sculler. <em>I</em> might find the charm in it, but I can’t subject others to it,” Junmyeon rolls his eyes, his own attendants waving his hair into elaborate braids along each side of his neck, the great work hidden unless one was to gently push the rest of his hair over his shoulder to reveal it. </p>
<p>“Didn’t you tell me the waters washed me clean?” </p>
<p>“I would say anything to bed you,” Junmyeon says, and one of the ladies working looks back at Sehun with a smile, though Sehun cannot say for certain <em>why</em>. “Did they treat you well?” </p>
<p>“Yes, of course, my lord,” Sehun answers, and he folds himself up on Junmyeon’s bed as he watches them work on him, gently patting him and primping him. </p>
<p>He watches until he waves Sehun away. </p>
<p>“Go,” Junmyeon says. “They are not yet finished with you.” </p>
<p>“No?” Sehun says. “They told me I was free to return to you.” </p>
<p>“There is still more to do,” Junmyeon says cryptically, and then suddenly, there is a knock on the chamber door as if by command. Junmyeon turns slightly, smiling at Sehun. “Be good. Let them work.” </p>
<p>“I shall, my lord.” He lets himself be led back to his own chambers by the attendants, women in soft silk robes with their hair tied in smart knots at the tops of their heads. </p>
<p>He is sat back down in front of his vanity, and for the first time since his journeys began, he is forced to reconcile the way he has changed. His hair has grown longer, much longer now. It is nearly as long as Junmyeon’s hair now, and he combs his fingers through it, coaxing it untangled as he smoothes it along his neck. </p>
<p>Then, the girls come with shears, and he breathes in sharply. </p>
<p>“Is it all right?” one of the girls asks diplomatically. </p>
<p>“You are very handsome either way, sir,” the other says simply. </p>
<p>“Did he want me to cut my hair?” Sehun asks, and the girls nod in unison. “Then I suppose it will be cut.” </p>
<p>He closes his eyes as his hair drops to the floor, edges split and frayed. It is not much to him, his hair means little, has never meant much to him, but for some reason, the sight is too much. He lets himself relax as they return him whence he came, hair rather long in the front but shorter in the back, close to his scalp. </p>
<p>They coat their hands in oil as they pet their back, pushing it out of his eyes, and when he looks at himself in the mirror, he cannot deny that it is a fetching look, something like a noble person might wear. </p>
<p>Still, he has never <em>felt</em> noble, never felt anything close. Is that what loving Junmyeon is? A step up in the world? Just climbing another rung on an endless ladder? </p>
<p>They gently pull him from the chair when all the work’s done, and they guide him back towards Junmyeon’s chambers though at this point, he does not need the aid. He knows the way well enough. </p>
<p>Sehun steps through the door once the attendants pull it open, and immediately Junmyeon turns to face him. His mouth opens, and for that alone, Sehun is glad that he did it. It was worth the sacrifice just to see the look on Junmyeon’s face. </p>
<p>“My lord,” Sehun says, and he bows, knowing exactly what it will do to him. When he stands back up straight, he broadens his shoulders, stares directly into Junmyeon’s eyes. </p>
<p>A challenge.</p>
<p>“Leave us,” Junmyeon says, and he stands as the women working on him obey his order. </p>
<p>Junmyeon watches them until they retreat, the door to the chamber shut definitively behind them. That is the moment when he turns towards Sehun, eyes hooded low. </p>
<p>“Sit on the bed, please,” Junmyeon says, and Sehun moves, his robes sweeping through the waters as he goes. </p>
<p>Sehun sits on the edge of the bed, legs spread wide, and he waits. </p>
<p>“You look quite handsome when I can see your face, you know,” Junmyeon says, and he walks to Sehun easily straddling him on the bed. </p>
<p>Sehun’s hands go to Junmyeon’s waist, holding him carefully. “I did not realize how long my hair had grown.” </p>
<p>“Not until I told them that I would like you to cut it?” Junmyeon whispers, and he threads his fingers through the short hair that they left him with. “Do you hate it?” </p>
<p>“No, my lord,” Sehun whispers, his lips so close to Junmyeon’s that he can nearly taste him. “I like whatever you like.” </p>
<p>“Liar,” Junmyeon smiles, but he pulls him into a kiss anyway, just as lovely as all the rest. </p>
<p>He feels lighter whenever he’s with Junmyeon, whenever he’s resting in the waters, and <em>Gods</em>, he would die just to bottle this feeling. </p>
<p>It does not go as long as Sehun had thought it might, and Junmyeon makes a soft, regretful sound as he withdraws, sweeping the saliva away from Sehun’s lips with the pad of his thumb. </p>
<p>“We’ve got places to be,” Junmyeon says. “People to entertain.” </p>
<p>“Yes, my lord,” Sehun agrees. </p>
<p>“You have no idea,” Junmyeon says. “Not yet.” </p>
<p>“I’m sure I will understand soon.” </p>
<p>“Yes,” Junmyeon says. “I’ll make you understand.” </p>
<p>He is led away from the chambers by Junmyeon’s own hand, and when he walks into the great hall, the feast from before pales in comparison. </p>
<p>Draped with sand-washed silks of scarlet, cerulean, emerald, and violet, each column is a beacon of wavering color. There are magicked flames dancing through the water in shades of blue and gold. The hall is already filled with merry-makers, people of all walks of life stirring about, fetching food and drink. Some dance to the music of the harps and horns traveling slowly through the current, but when they stop suddenly to herald their entrance, Sehun stands up straight, blood turned to metal.  </p>
<p>There is an eerie quiet, the kind that should not be possible with so many people in the crowd before them. But then, Junmyeon speaks, and it all makes sense. </p>
<p>“Drink,” Junmyeon says casually, looking out over the masses before turning to Sehun. “Eat. Celebrate these long days of love and light, for moments like these should be remembered. For when they are remembered, they never end.” </p>
<p>He takes Sehun’s hand in his and raises it up, and the people cheer. Such a strange feeling, Sehun thinks, such a strange, wonderful feeling. To be lauded. </p>
<p>“I was… I did not think,” Sehun whispers, but the words are swallowed by the raucous noise, the thunder of joy. </p>
<p>“What did you not think?” Junmyeon wonders. </p>
<p>“That it would be like this,” Sehun says. “That you would do this for me.” </p>
<p>“It would be a slight to you if I didn’t, wouldn’t it?” Junmyeon says, and he pulls him towards the long table, the throne and the chair beside it. <em>Their seats. Junmyeon and Sehun right next to him.</em> </p>
<p>“I am no god,” Sehun says, and he smiles, letting himself be moved through the waters. “There can be no slight to me.” </p>
<p>“Not <em>yet</em> a god,” Junmyeon says, an optimism that Sehun’s never heard from him before. “If you are to be one of us, then you must find a spine.” </p>
<p>They pause in front of the throne, and Sehun steps around Junmyeon’s body. He swallows, letting his throat roll as he stands up straight. Royal. Seraphimatic. He sits on Junmyeon’s throne, staring up at him through long, coy lashes. </p>
<p>“How’s this?” Sehun asks. “Is my posture good, my lord?” </p>
<p>The look on Junmyeon’s face is dangerous, dangerous and lovely, and Sehun smiles as Junmyeon lifts his chin with two fingers, almost as sharp as a dagger. </p>
<p>“Do you think this pleases me?” Junmyeon asks. </p>
<p>“I do not need to think,” Sehun says. “By now, I know it very well.” </p>
<p>“Will you pay for your transgressions later?” Junmyeon whispers. </p>
<p>“I think someone will, though I cannot say for certain <em>who</em>.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon leans down slowly, and their kiss is poisoned with love and lust, dripping like venom down the back of his throat. His eyes slip shut, and he loses himself in the moment, deaf to the sounds of the crowd around them. When he opens his eyes, though, staring at Junmyeon’s face, he hears the feast in full swing. </p>
<p>“Wine?” Junmyeon offers. “Or something stronger?” </p>
<p>“Whatever you would serve me, my lord,” Sehun says smugly. “It is a service I could get used to.” </p>
<p>“I wouldn’t if I were you,” Junmyeon sneers. “You never know when death will come for you. She’s very fickle, I’ve heard.” </p>
<p>Still, Sehun watches as he walks to the private cask, filling two wine glasses as the strings pluck, as the horns blow, as the people dance, dance, dance into midnight.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> ☵ </p>
</div><p>For seven days and seven nights, they dine on food and finery, and when everyone's sleeping, gone back to where they belong, their secret feast is <em>sin</em>, sweet honeyed flesh, dipped in luxury and silk and gold.</p><p>He does not know if this will hold out for much longer, he thinks, drenched in sweat on the sixth night. It can’t possibly. It is too good. </p>
<p>“There is always better,” Junmyeon says, and he wraps his fist around Sehun’s cock, stroking him back to hardness. “That’s what you will learn about life. When it never ends, there is always something better waiting for you.” </p>
<p>“Is that so, my lord?” Sehun says harshly, his voice going tighter and tighter as Junmyeon touches him. “I’m afraid I am dry.” </p>
<p>“We shall see,” Junmyeon says, and he presses lewd, wet kisses to Sehun’s balls, tongue soft along him, humming against the thin skin. “Mm.” </p>
<p>“My <em>lord</em>,” Sehun stresses, wiggling in the sheets as Junmyeon takes what he wants, gives as much pleasure as he wants, drags Sehun over the edge again and again. “Junmyeon…” </p>
<p>“Say my name again,” Junmyeon says, and Sehun squeezes his eyes shut for a semblance of control, but when he opens his eyes, arches his neck to stare down at Junmyeon, he is bowled over by the sight of him, sex dripping from every pore. “Say it, Sehun.” </p>
<p>The sound of his name from Junmyeon’s lips, in Junmyeon’s voice, <em>oh</em>, it is so much. </p>
<p>“Junmyeon,” he whispers, a plea. “<em>Junmyeon</em>.” </p>
<p>“Shall I do the work for you?” Junmyeon whispers back. “Shall I take you exactly as I want you?” </p>
<p>Sehun’s eyes roll back in his head as he lets himself drift back. How did they get here? How many times has he spent? How many times has Junmyeon taken what he had left and then found <em>more</em> waiting just beneath the surface? </p>
<p>Junmyeon straddles him, takes him inside, and Sehun cries out. He is so sensitive now that it feels like he is drowning within himself, the lust deep and cavernous and swallowing him up. </p>
<p>“I can’t anymore,” Sehun whispers. “Junmyeon, you are too tight around me.” </p>
<p>“Say no, and I will obey your command,” Junmyeon says. “Tell me that you don’t want me, and I will rest beside you.”</p>
<p>Sehun cannot make the words come out because they simply aren’t true. As painful as his love can be, Sehun wants more and more. </p>
<p>He settles his hands on Junmyeon’s hips as he rides Sehun in long, smooth strokes, the oceans calm and still as Junmyeon erodes him. He leaves bruises with his fingertips so that he can keep Junmyeon there. Even when it hurts.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> ☵ </p>
</div><p>On the seventh feast night, his next trial makes itself known to him.</p><p>Junmyeon suddenly stills at his side, and he takes his crown of corals off his head, sitting it down onto the table. </p>
<p>“What is it?” Sehun asks in a daze. </p>
<p>“Can’t you feel it?” Junmyeon whispers lowly, the sound of his voice nearly swallowed by the din of the feast around them. “The charge in the waters… the white light that is approaching from the skies.” He turns to Sehun sadly. “He’s come for you. He’s come to take you from me.” </p>
<p>“W-Who?” </p>
<p>Junmyeon does not get a chance to answer. The doors leading to the great hall swing open to reveal Jongdae, his body long with light as he stands there, happy as anything. </p>
<p>“I could kill him,” Junmyeon says under his breath before he stands, smiling at Jongdae as he streaks across the hall to greet them. Junmyeon immediately offers Jongdae his hand. “It is good to see you again.” </p>
<p>“Pleasantries?” Jongdae asks, shocked as he comes towards them. “I am <em>delighted</em>.” </p>
<p>“I’m afraid we’ve only met once,” Sehun says, and he bows. “The circumstances were not ideal, your grace.” </p>
<p>“They never are,” Jongdae says happily. “Come, let’s have a drink before we away. I had heard the feast days of the hero were some of the best in the sea kingdom.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon hides it as he rolls his eyes, turning to gesture for a drink. They hurry to give him what he wants, and he casually waves it over to Jongdae. </p>
<p>“Join me, join me!” Jongdae says. “The night has only just begun! There is good food, good <em>friends</em>—” and he pulls Sehun under his arm to ruffle his hair. “Alas, you’re never sure when your last drink will be. Such is this morbid life.” </p>
<p>“One drink,” Junmyeon suggests. “To good fortunes along his travels.” </p>
<p>“Ah, but we make our own fortunes, don’t we?” Jongdae says, and he ruffles Sehun’s hair easily before releasing him entirely, grabbing for the glass of wine. “Still, I suppose he’s mortal. Get him a glass before we go.” </p>
<p>It is weak red stuff, and Sehun drinks it easily as a vague tension sits over them. Junmyeon stares at Jongdae as he fills the conversation enough for the three of them. Sehun stares in awe, trying to piece together what’s going on between them. Something is there, certainly, something strange, and when Junmyeon stands to fetch another drink for himself, he suddenly understands. </p>
<p><em>They were lovers once</em>. </p>
<p>“Did you just figure it out?” Jongdae asks. “He didn’t tell you?” </p>
<p>“I think not,” Sehun says. “You knew him as I know him?”  </p>
<p>“You’re so… <em>delicate</em>,” Jongdae says cheerfully. “Yes, boy, I knew him as you know him. And ways beyond that, perhaps. After all, we were young gods together.” He looks down the bridge of his nose, waggling his eyebrows. “We got into trouble as we were meant to.” </p>
<p>Sehun takes his glass, drinks what’s left of it, holding his throat open. Jongdae laughs as Sehun sets the glass back down. </p>
<p>“Truly he didn’t tell you?” Jongdae asks, and his gaze traces Sehun’s face. “He hadn’t. Amazing.” </p>
<p>“No, your grace, he hadn’t.” </p>
<p>“In truth, I feel a bit… offended.” </p>
<p>“Why, your grace?” </p>
<p>“Well, if <em>you</em> had been lovers for a hundred years, don’t you think that’s even worth a mention?” Jongdae asks.</p>
<p>“I suppose so, your grace,” Sehun says, knitting his brows together. </p>
<p>“It matters not,” Jongdae says, waving his hands through the water. “You know now.” </p>
<p>Sehun looks off, wondering why Junmyeon wouldn’t mention something as important as this. He knows of Junmyeon’s escapades in the past, the people he called <em>little rivers</em>, those charming enough to find and make love to, and still… a god shared his bed. A god that looks as Jongdae does. How could he ever compete with a picture so pretty? </p>
<p>“Was it a mistake to bring this to your attention?” Jongdae asks, and when Sehun looks back to him, he is wearing a wry grin. </p>
<p>“I fear you’ve done this on purpose,” Sehun smiles back. “Have you carried a flame for our water god all these years?” </p>
<p>Jongdae shouts a laugh. “What, and I would wait for this specific instance to dispose of you? To throw you off your well-established rhythm?”</p>
<p>“It sounds quite a fool-proof plan to me,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“You give me too much credit,” Jongdae says, and he takes Sehun’s hand in his. “He is joyous with you. And while I might not know exactly why he’s picked you from the litter, I’m sure it will come to me in time. After all, you are quite fair.” </p>
<p>The stroke to his ego is well-timed, and Sehun narrows his eyes.  </p>
<p>“And yet,” Jongdae continues, “you look at me with much fear.” </p>
<p>“I am not afraid of you.” </p>
<p>“No,” Jongdae agrees, “you fear losing him. Is that the reason for all of this? The fear of him <em>moving on</em> from you?” </p>
<p>“No,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“Yes,” Jongdae argues with a smile. “It is all a streak of possession. You wish to possess him until the end of time itself and far beyond that even.” </p>
<p>“It is not <em>possession</em>,” Sehun clarifies. </p>
<p>“No?” Jongdae asks, tilting his head ever so slightly to the side, the light of understanding or awakening crackling across his skies. “Ah. No, not possession. Something much more human. <em>Belonging.</em>” </p>
<p>Sehun’s stomach rolls as if he’s being scolded or even shamed, and he looks off. </p>
<p>“Do not fret,” Jongdae says. “I think that you will see the end of these trials.” </p>
<p>“What makes you say that, your grace?” </p>
<p>“You have what makes us different,” Jongdae says. “That… that side of us.” </p>
<p>“What side is that?” </p>
<p>“A foolish side,” Jongdae smiles. “Foolish and brave.” </p>
<p>“If that was the only requirement to join your ranks, I think many more would have tried by now,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>Jongdae throws his head back again, a bolt of laughter striking through the room. </p>
<p>“You may be right,” Jongdae says. “But still, you have not convinced me that you weren’t somehow made in our likeness. A natural part of our chain.” </p>
<p>“Then shall we forever be linked?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>Jongdae turns, and Sehun follows his eyes. Junmyeon is standing by the casks, looking into a glass of wine rather sullenly. Sehun’s heart aches within him. He should go to him. He should touch him. </p>
<p>“We were linked from the very moment you pledged your life to him,” Jongdae says with a smile. “Everything changed that day.” He looks back to Sehun, grinning. “For your sake and for my own, I hope it changed for the better.” </p>
<p>“Yes, your grace,” Sehun says, “as do I.” </p>
<p>Jongdae squeezes down his smile into something solemn, and he stands, offering Sehun his hand. “It is nearly time. Let’s go to the balcony. It’s quite romantic there.” </p>
<p>“Do you intend to romance me, your grace?” </p>
<p>“Someone does,” Jongdae says, and then, Sehun is whirled around to face Junmyeon. </p>
<p>“Were you planning on leaving me without so much as a <em>farewell</em>?” </p>
<p>“Once,” Sehun says, “you said you couldn’t bear to see me go.” </p>
<p>“That was a long time ago now,” Junmyeon says. “And the odds of your survival have become increasingly good.” </p>
<p>“So now you bet on me?” Sehun wonders. “You’ve placed your coin upon my return?” </p>
<p>Junmyeon scowls, looking past him to speak to Jongdae. “Where are you taking him?” </p>
<p>“With me,” Jongdae evades with a smile. </p>
<p>“You’re funny,” Junmyeon says with a tone that very clearly says <em>you are not funny.</em> </p>
<p>Jongdae laughs, and he steps around Sehun to put a hand upon Junmyeon’s shoulder. “I’ve missed you, friend.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon shrugs him off. “The balcony?” </p>
<p>“I thought that would be nice,” Jongdae says, sighing wistfully. “The pale moonlight through the water…” </p>
<p>“Enough prattling,” Junmyeon says, and he takes Sehun by the hand, leading him away, Jongdae following behind them as they go. “Remember not to trust him.” </p>
<p>“He seems kind,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“I am kind,” Jongdae chimes. </p>
<p>“Again, you mustn’t trust him.” </p>
<p>“Why not?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“He’s too self-absorbed to realize that I’ve moved on from him,” Jongdae says. “He thinks I still love him, that I’ll do anything to have him back.” </p>
<p>“And who could blame him?” Junmyeon says. </p>
<p>“I think he’s moved on,” Sehun squints. </p>
<p>“You would believe him,” Junmyeon says, “because you’re silly and you know little about our kind. We rarely forgive, and we never forget.” </p>
<p>“So you’re a bunch of children,” Sehun judges, and they walk up the spiraling staircase, stepping out onto the balcony as the night pours down around them. </p>
<p>Jongdae laughs again, caught between pleased and offended, but when he looks between the two of them, the look upon his face changes. Something much… softer. </p>
<p>“This should be a moment for just the two of you,” Jongdae says, backing away. “Pretend as if I’m not here.” </p>
<p>Sehun smiles at him as he seemingly fades into the night, but then Junmyeon takes Sehun by the collar to kiss him, spinning him easily. Sehun opens his mouth to argue. </p>
<p>“What?” Junmyeon asks. “Something clever to say?” </p>
<p>“Nothing clever,” Sehun whispers. “Just that you look very pretty tonight.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon makes a wounded sound as he crushes their mouths together inelegantly. It is certainly not their most beautiful kiss, but it feels the most passionate, and for that, Sehun cherishes it above all else. </p>
<p>“What for my return this time?” Sehun whispers, the words gliding along the seam of Junmyeon’s lips. “After all this?” </p>
<p>“I will take you anywhere you want to go,” Junmyeon whispers back. “Anywhere on this earth. I will give you anything.” </p>
<p>“I have not yet even begun to struggle,” Sehun whispers. “How will you top these things when I'm near the end of my journey?” </p>
<p>“The road is long behind, but even longer ahead,” Junmyeon warns. “Eyes forward. Do not think of anything besides returning to my bed.” </p>
<p>“I won’t,” Sehun promises, and Jongdae’s hand rests upon his shoulder. “Until I see you again.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon frowns, and that is the last thing Sehun sees, the downturn of his mouth that haunts him through space, time, and inky black.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> ☵ </p>
</div><p>Sehun crashes back into his feet, a little less jarring than the time before as the dense, wet forest fills his vision.</p><p>“Ah, look at you,” Jongdae says happily, patting Sehun on the shoulders. “You’ve all but mastered it now.” </p>
<p>“Practice,” Sehun coughs out. </p>
<p>“We must celebrate little victories,” Jongdae says wisely, nodding as if impressed by his own comment. </p>
<p>“I would rather celebrate the large ones, your grace,” Sehun says, and he takes a moment, just a moment, to gather as much information about his surroundings that he can. </p>
<p>He stands in a castle’s planning quarters, though it is much more wholesome than any other castle he’s been to before. The floor and walls are made of a strange black stone, almost <em>spongelike</em> underfoot. He looks around. It is no less rich than any of the other kingdoms, draped with all of the trappings of luxury, glassware and gold and paintings in rich purples and blues. The table in front of them is dark and wooden, carved with angular bolts of lightning along the edges, and within the divots, there has been gold leaf pressed to the surface. It shines even in the low light. </p>
<p>He breathes in deeply and smells <em>flowers</em>, though when he looks around, he can only find a burning incense, whisping the smoke into the air. He breathes in again, and he smells something a bit more unpleasant, though he cannot say what exactly the unpleasantness is. A tangy, an acidity… almost like <em>fish</em>. </p>
<p>The ocean follows him, he thinks, smiling as he stares at the meeting room in wonderment. </p>
<p>“Are you admiring it?” Jongdae wonders. “Or measuring it up against the other kingdoms?” </p>
<p>“Both,” Sehun admits. </p>
<p>“I know the smell can be a bit much,” Jongdae says. “But we do our best to mask it. Spend a couple days here, you won’t even notice it.” </p>
<p>“It is nothing, your grace,” Sehun says. “Thank you for letting me come here.” </p>
<p>“It is my pleasure,” Jongdae says. “Before we go outside, would you like to see the castle work?” </p>
<p>“W-<em>Work</em>?” </p>
<p>“Sit just there,” Jongdae says, pointing Sehun over to one of the wooden chairs. As soon as Sehun sits, Jongdae smiles, and his fingers sparkle blue. “Do you feel it?” </p>
<p>And suddenly, Sehun <em>does</em>. He feels the air shift around him, hair on his forearm and at the back of his neck standing on end. Jongdae glimmers in the dim room, and suddenly, there is a crack of light. A <em>bolt of lightning</em> that should have killed Sehun. </p>
<p>“There,” Jongdae says. “Are you quite impressed?” </p>
<p>“Y-Yes,” Sehun says, heart thumping in his throat. “Yes, your grace, <em>Gods</em>.” </p>
<p>“The floors,” Jongdae says happily, “the walls.” </p>
<p>Sehun looks in awe, the floor unmarred, the walls unmarked… how?  </p>
<p>“It is incredible, your grace,” Sehun says. “I’ve never seen anything like it before.” </p>
<p>“A marvel, isn’t it?” Jongdae says. “Humans can be so smart sometimes. So clever.” </p>
<p>“It was them?” Sehun whispers in awe. “Us?” </p>
<p>“I’ve hurt people on accident before,” Jongdae shrugs. “The castle was a way to stop that from happening. I felt I owed it to them.” </p>
<p>“It swallows the lightning?” Sehun asks, amazed as he brushes his hand against the hard yet <em>soft</em> surface of the wall. “A godsend.” </p>
<p>“I don’t think I had much to do with it,” Jongdae smirks. “Alas, it is a modern wonder, and I’m happy to stay here.” </p>
<p>“As am I, your grace,” Sehun says with a bow. “For however long I am to stay.” </p>
<p>“Not long,” Jongdae says happily. “For there is something lost that I need retrieved.” </p>
<p>“Then I shall retrieve it for you,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“Without another word? Without knowing what it is?” </p>
<p>“I have faced challenges so far,” Sehun says. “I have survived.”</p>
<p>“Yes,” Jongdae says, and he sits opposite Sehun, “I have heard of your triumphs. The rock. The snake. This might be different.”</p>
<p>“What is so different?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“My helm,” Jongdae says. “Lost in the marshes of the kingdom.” </p>
<p>“The <em>Thunder Helm</em>?” </p>
<p>“The same,” Jongdae says. “And you can see why I require your assistance. It is the most precious artifact to me. Gifted to me by my mother. I will not see it lost to the depths of that swampland.” </p>
<p>“I can see,” Sehun says. “B-But…”</p>
<p>“But?” </p>
<p>“If it is only a swamp,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“<em>Only a swamp</em>,” Jongdae scoffs. “Only a swamp? Oh, we have our work cut out for us.”  </p>
<p>“Is there some fearsome creature?” Sehun asks. “Some impenetrable wall?” </p>
<p>“Why would you assume that?” Jongdae asks. </p>
<p>“Because you’re sending <em>me</em>.” </p>
<p>“I wasn’t aware that it needed to be some horrible curse in order to be a trial,” Jongdae says. “Last I checked, I am a god, and you are the one who wants immortality. Without doing as I say, you will fall short of your goal. Isn’t that right?” </p>
<p>“Yes, your grace,” Sehun says swiftly, “I only meant—” </p>
<p>“I know what you meant,” Jongdae says. “I’d advise you to quiet the rest of your meanings until you are out of these lands.” He shrugs his shoulders happily, belying his words. “You never know what might happen once you step out of this castle.” </p>
<p>Fear lances through him at the suggestion, and Jongdae tilts his head back with a laugh. </p>
<p>“Your grace?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“Oh, nothing,” Jongdae laughs, “just that it’s been quite some time since I got to scare someone as I’ve just scared you. You see, we’ve been on our best behavior for this last century.” He taps his nails on the table, and it sends a little blister of crackling light through it. It makes Sehun jump backwards. “It does feel nice to be… bad, doesn’t it?”</p>
<p>“Yes, I think so, your grace.” </p>
<p>“But you request my nicety,” Jongdae says. </p>
<p>“Just until I’ve retrieved your helm, your grace,” Sehun says quickly. </p>
<p>“And then I can light you up?” Jongdae asks, tilting his head to the side. </p>
<p>Sehun bows his head. “I would not presume to know what a god-king can and cannot do.” </p>
<p>“Just a simple threat, and I’ve brought you back to your humble roots,” Jongdae says, and he does not sound unfriendly, nor threatening. “Two faces on you, boy, I can see them both. The question that I have now… which is the true face and which is the false one?” </p>
<p>“I think they are both true, your grace,” Sehun says. “The bad part is that I’ve not gotten smart enough with either to know when is the best time for one over the other.” </p>
<p>Jongdae looks into his eyes, and Sehun stands up straight. <em>Spine</em>, Junmyeon had said. <em>Have a spine.</em> He does not allow himself to break the gaze, letting Jongdae look his fill before he finally laughs, a little chuckle, looking away. </p>
<p>“There is more than just your surface, I’ll grant him that,” Jongdae says. </p>
<p>“With time, I think I might be able to show you more of my charms,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“With time,” Jongdae nods. “Pray that you’ll have that time, then.” </p>
<p>Sehun nods. He knows what he’s to do. Search the swamps. Find the helm. Return it. Return to Junmyeon. </p>
<p>“You will find the journey to the marshlands quite simple,” Jongdae says. “Signs will direct you along the way. I think it is perhaps, oh, six days by foot?” </p>
<p>“Thank you, your grace.” </p>
<p>“Do not thank me yet,” Jongdae says. “You do not know the dangers of these lands, but I’m sure you will find out.” </p>
<p>“I look forward to the challenge,” Sehun makes himself say, heart in his throat as he watches Jongdae’s fingers tinge blue. </p>
<p>“Go on, then,” Jongdae says. “I will expect you in a fortnight. If you’ve yet to return, would you like me to send death regards to your lover?” </p>
<p>“Hold your letter,” Sehun says, and he takes his bag on his shoulder, ready for the wetlands ahead. “I will return.”<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> ☵ </p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>wah! sorry for the prolonged absence. i was on vacation for a week and that vacation meant "vacation from writing" so that week became another week and it just kind of... spiraled LOL. but now i'm back! and hopefully back on schedule. i hope to finish this fic around mid-november, so remember that patience is a virtue or whatever people say when they want you to wait for things ljksadkjg </p>
<p>truth be told, i have been having some stress in my life recently, so if this trial isnt as good as the others, just pretend it is okay,,, i am a fragile idiot, and like prometheus having stolen fire from the gods, i am punished, chained to this boulder of a story, and my liver will just regrow every time it is plucked from me.</p>
<p>as always, u can contact me via twitter or curiouscat if u have questions or concerns. thanks for playing along at home. </p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/okamiwind">my twitter</a> | <a href="https://curiouscat.me/okamiwind">my curiouscat</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. the retrieval of the thunder helm, part two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Stepping out of the black palace feels like his first step into a sauna. The air is hot and wet as he walks out of the well-manicured gardens, the flowers pouring over their earthenware pots with rainbows of color. It is somehow even hotter than the jungles of Yixing’s lands, the air filled with moisture, and Sehun daubs at the back of his neck to wipe the sweat away within the first several moments of being outside. </p>
<p>The walls of the kingdom are the same black stone, but once he has stepped beneath the archway, the doors shut behind him quite menacingly. </p>
<p>He looks back to the gothic arched windows in the castle, but all the curtains have been pulled shut, all the eyes looking away. </p>
<p>Sehun is on his own again. It is quite lucky, he thinks, that he has gotten used to it now.</p>
<p>The winding roads through the soft wet forest are beaten red dirt, and he starts walking towards the first fork in the road about two miles up ahead. It gives him an opportunity to really survey the surroundings, watching white birds flit in flocks from treetop to treetop. They remind him of snowbirds, the kind he used to see back home when it got too cold further north. </p>
<p>A strange sort of guilt pulls in his stomach. His father. His brother. They are so far behind him now he does not know that he could ever return to them. He wonders what they’re doing. If they’ve broken bread with the girl by now, if his brother was married, standing on the banks of the ocean. If they wore their crowns of driftwood and their best dyed clothes. He wonders if they toasted. He’s sure that they have by now. He’s been gone for so long. </p>
<p>Should he miss it more? Should he regret his decision more? </p>
<p>He tells himself he’ll write when he gets back to the kingdom. He will tell them of his journeys. He will remind himself of the things he once considered his great loves. </p>
<p>As he walks, the packed dirt under his feet soft and kind, he thinks about what Junmyeon might say. <em>Host them here</em>, he can imagine him saying, blusterous and proud. <em>They will live in the most luxurious room, but it will be faraway from ours. I would hate you to quiet yourself now that you’ve learned to be loud.</em></p>
<p>Sehun smiles to himself as he walks through the forest, the air so full of warm water that it reminds him of Junmyeon. His kingdom. Yes, he will return. He will make it back stronger. Better. More fit to love him.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>He makes shelter as the night settles, crafting a rough sort of lean-to against one of the stronger looking trees. When he leans back against it, he notices a tap from the bark, a metal bucket underneath it. It looks as if it’s been filled with <em>milk</em>. Curious, he gets up onto his knees to sniff at the stuff that leaks from the trunk. He’s seen trees tapped for their syrups before. It is common in the north, he thinks.</p><p>This tap does not smell as clean as that sap near home. This smells a little foul even coming straight from the tree. </p>
<p><em>Strange</em>, he thinks, staring out at the evening forest, the sounds of the whitebirds filling even the night. He tries to get some sleep, gently letting his eyes fall shut, but every time he is on the brink of rest, he wakes, startled by some sound. </p>
<p>It is a difficult first night, but the morning light is welcome. At the very least, he can start moving again. </p>
<p>Stretching, wiping at the back of his neck, he looks for water to fish from, but he finds none clear enough to see through. He doesn’t know that he wants any kind of fish that could live in waters so muddy and thick. He wonders what to do, what kind of food could sustain him in a place such as this. </p>
<p>He packs his things, hoping to find something along the way, signposts dotting the path as he goes. He studies them closely as he goes, and he lets them guide him as he moves through the paths. He passes a small town, homes built from the wood of the tapped trees. They look about the same as the ones back home, only made from different materials, and again, his heart aches for his family. </p>
<p>Was he wrong? </p>
<p>He blinks the thoughts away. He cannot allow himself to get sidetracked with meaningless and frivolous nostalgia. The mission means his life, and his life means everything now. </p>
<p>He keeps moving, trying his best to keep his mind clear and his heart empty of silly things.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>The only time he strays from the beaten path is in his search for fresh water, but every time he goes searching, all he finds is muck. He pokes at the swamp water with a twig, scrunching up his face as he lifts some unpleasantness up with the end. It simply will not do, and as the days pass, his thirst grows. His eyes are beginning to ache.</p><p>He kicks through some of the wet rubber leaves, dark emerald and thick along the marshy soil. He looks around the trees, sees a small house. Rounding it from the side, he notices the craftsmanship of the home. It appears to be lived in, quite quaint, and Sehun smiles, thinking of the type of person that lives there. Almost certainly a generous fellow. </p>
<p>He continues to walk around the home before he stumbles upon a small garden, all sorts of beautiful flowers and greenery, things that look <em>rare</em> in such an area. Then suddenly, Sehun is taken aback. Dead center of the fenced in garden, he sees a small pond. Fresh water, blue as the sky above. His mouth is dry, his stomach empty, and more importantly, he can smell himself. </p>
<p>He supposes he’s gotten too comfortable in Junmyeon’s presence, too accustomed to his pampering. He smiles, thinking about the scented oils, the salt baths, the way Junmyeon would massage his body and make the smell of the perfumes swirl in the air. </p>
<p>Without another thought, without even a <em>question</em> of a thought, Sehun hops the small fence around the pond, and he lowers himself to the ground, drinking his fill with cupped hands. It slides down his throat easily, sweetly, and he dreams of Junmyeon, of Junmyeon’s love. Oh, it tasted just like this. Just as cool. </p>
<p>He drinks, drinks, drinks, the water rolling down his neck and wetting his front. He leans back, smiling. The gods have been good. </p>
<p>“Hey!” </p>
<p>Sehun whips his head to the side, and he sees an old woman stalking towards him with a big black cane, shaking it at him. He scrambles backwards, hops right back over the fence as she ambles forward. </p>
<p>“What’s the meaning of this?” she asks, and he immediately notices that she is missing quite a few teeth, her white hair curly and bouncing at her shoulders. “You just steal water wherever you damn well please?” </p>
<p>“I thought… well—”</p>
<p>“You thought you could just take it,” she says, pointing the sharp end of her cane at him. “You thought that the consequences don’t apply to you.” </p>
<p>“Well, I suppose a bit,” Sehun says. “I was thirsty. Nearing death.” </p>
<p>She looks him over, and Sehun slumps his shoulders to look more appropriately <em>near death</em>. </p>
<p>“You look fine,” she says. “Bit skinny.” </p>
<p>“I have always been such,” Sehun answers. </p>
<p>“Are you going to steal the flowers too?” she asks, pointing to the garden next to the pond. “Steal the clothes off my back? Rob an old woman blind? Is that how they do it where you hail from?” </p>
<p>“C-Come now, I didn’t mean to rob you.” </p>
<p>“And if I happened to,” the woman says, unsheathing the knife from the end of her cane, “<em>stab you</em> as I fell… would you accept my apology as I told you I hadn’t <em>meant</em> to?” </p>
<p>Sehun squints at her. “Are you going to murder me, ma’am?” </p>
<p>She looks him over again, and she sticks the knife back into the end of the cane. She pushes her hair away from her face along with some sweat, smiling at him. She is rather toothless, but in a charming sort of way. He smiles back at her, confused. </p>
<p>“Come,” she says, and she waves him back over the fence. “Drink. Perhaps, <em>bathe</em>. I will let you rest here, traveler. The road is long behind, but—”</p>
<p>“Longer ahead,” Sehun agrees. “Thank you, ma’am.” </p>
<p>He hops back over the fence, and she goes to her house, busying herself as Sehun strips himself naked and dips himself into the freshwater pond. It is a welcome relief from the near overwhelming heat, and he washes himself thoroughly before pulling himself back out regretfully. </p>
<p>Sehun walks over to the small patio built out from the front of the house, and he is distantly reminded of home once more. There are two chairs around a small table with a cluster of red tigertails in a glass vase. There is a rocking chair, a woven white blanket draped over the arm, and at the chair’s side, there is a basket with yarn and several sizes of needles stuck through one of the bundles. </p>
<p>The noise of the door opening startles him, and he leaps backwards as he finds her walking out with two wooden bowls, each filled with rice, crayfish, and what looks to be seaweed. He is amazed by the aromas. Buttery and fatty and <em>salty</em> and sweet. His mouth waters. It’s been days since he’s had a proper meal. </p>
<p>“My, my, you’re a touchy little thief, aren’t you?” </p>
<p>“I am no thief,” he stresses. </p>
<p>“Whatever you say,” she says, and she places the bowls at the table. “Go on. You look hungry, boy.” </p>
<p>Sehun waits for her to sit, and then he sits opposite her. He eats ravenously, barely pausing to breathe, and she laughs at him when he licks the bowl clean. </p>
<p>“I had a dog once,” the lady says. “You look just like him.” </p>
<p>He frowns, but he supposes he needs to be properly grateful for her care. He lets the face fade before bowing his head to her. “Thank you.” </p>
<p>“No thanks necessary,” she says. “Where are you headed anyway, boy?” </p>
<p>“The marsh at the center of the forest,” Sehun answers proudly. “I am on a quest.” </p>
<p>As if on cue, a crack of lightning flashes in the sky. Sehun flinches, staring upwards in wonder at the bleeding purple day, and she laughs at him. He furrows his brow. </p>
<p>“Oh, boy,” the old woman says, smiling at him toothlessly, “the marsh? Turn back whence you came.” </p>
<p>“Excuse me,” Sehun says, “but I am different from all the rest.” </p>
<p>“Are you now?” the woman says, leaning forward in her chair to stare at him. “What’s so different, hm? You were dirty?” </p>
<p>Sehun snorts. “Not <em>usually</em>.” </p>
<p>“Well, first impressions matter,” she says. “Didn’t your mother and father ever tell you that?” </p>
<p>“Once, I think,” Sehun answers. “Only once.” </p>
<p>“And you forgot?” </p>
<p>“I suppose I must have,” Sehun smiles. </p>
<p>“Oh,” she says, leaning backwards in her chair, a hand under her chin, “you think you’re handsome.” </p>
<p>“I have been told,” Sehun shrugs. “Once or twice.” </p>
<p>“And it’s gone to your big fat head,” she smiles. “So you think yourself charming just because you’ve been blessed by a god or two.” </p>
<p>“I have been told,” Sehun says again. “Once or twice.” </p>
<p>“My name is Sora,” she tells him. “These lands that you’ve happened across…” and she gestures broadly to the area, “are mine.” </p>
<p>“The only clean water in the marshes and you own them?” Sehun asks. She nods her head. “That doesn’t seem fair.” </p>
<p>“I make sure everyone <em>doesn’t go thirsty</em>,” Sora says. “Unlike that friend of yours in his palace.” </p>
<p>“He keeps the water from them?” Sehun asks. “No, he wouldn’t—”</p>
<p>“You know nothing about what a god would or wouldn’t do, you silly little bird. You think because you fly amongst their flock, you are one?” She leans in, another toothless smile. “You’ll never be one of them. Want to know why?” </p>
<p>“W-Why?” </p>
<p>“This swamp will eat you alive before you’re through,” she says. “And good riddance. There’s nothing worse than an immortal one.” </p>
<p>“Why do you hate them so?” Sehun asks. “What makes you so… angry?” </p>
<p>“Haven’t you ever seen a god be ruthless? Cruel? Withhold something as a <em>punishment</em>, even if it was only a few who did wrong?” </p>
<p>Immediately, Sehun is thrown back to his youth. Climbing the hill to the temple, the stones on his back. He was so young then, but if he went back to that time, Junmyeon would look just the same. But he was so vengeful, wasn’t he? The great drought was <em>his</em>, wasn’t it? And it took Sehun’s work to make the rains fall. Why? </p>
<p><em>Why him? Why would Junmyeon do something so cruel?</em> </p>
<p>“I see,” Sora says. “Yes, you know of their wanton lust, their pride, their greed… well, I hate to tell you, but the worst parts of humanity were born from them. Grew along our skin like moss. Wrapped around our throats like vines. If we are vicious, if we are cruel, it is because our gods made us this way.” </p>
<p>“W-What is there to be done about it, my lady?” Sehun whispers. “They are… they are the gods.” </p>
<p>“And this is heresy,” Sora says, rocking back in her chair. “They can come and kill me if they like. Least there is freedom in death.” </p>
<p>“I don’t know what to say,” Sehun says, suddenly quite breathless, air getting heavy in his chest. </p>
<p>“You’ve fallen in love with a god, haven’t you?” she says, and she folds her arms across her chest. “Then, there is nothing to say.” </p>
<p>“H-How did you know?” </p>
<p>She laughs again, throwing her head back happily. </p>
<p>“Who else so passionately defends a god?” </p>
<p>“A believer,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“The only true believers are the ones who think they can join the ranks,” she says. “You will not make it, boy. I swear it to you.” </p>
<p>“I will prove you wrong, Sora,” Sehun says. “I swear it.” </p>
<p>“I don’t require swears,” she says. “Not like those others.” </p>
<p>Sehun reaches forward to take her hand, and he squeezes it in his grip. </p>
<p>“I am eternally in your debt,” Sehun says. “Without your help, without your waters, perhaps—”</p>
<p>“Perhaps I would be right. Well, good luck,” Sora says, another toothless smile, “I will keep you in my prayers. Though it won’t be much help once you’re waist deep in those red waters.” </p>
<p>Sehun shivers, and Sora shouts out a laugh. </p>
<p>“I can’t become afraid now, can I?” </p>
<p>“Certainly not,” she says. “These forests listen. They can hear you.  Now go on. You’re to get the helm for him, right? Well, go. And remember… time will run out in those waters. Don’t waste it.” </p>
<p>“I won’t, my lady!” Sehun says excitedly, the food beginning to settle in him, reinvigorating him with boundless energy. “I will not waste a moment more!” </p>
<p>“Take care, boy,” she cheers, and he runs off back towards the beaten path, looking for the next sign on his way through the forest.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>He keeps Sora’s words in his head as he travels. He’s never been one to waste time, but keeping his head on straight, not letting himself wander <em>mentally</em>, that is another challenge entirely.</p><p>The fourth day and the fifth pass, and his feet ache with the walking, but he keeps his gaze forward, not allowing himself to look back. There is only moving ahead. There is only the journey. The trial. </p>
<p>His stomach growls as the night falls on the fifth, and he attempts to hunt for some of the whitebirds. Sehun happens upon a nest, but when he gets there, he sees—<em>Gods</em>. </p>
<p>At first blush, all he can see is a wriggling fish, the silvery scales bright even in the middle of the night. Then he sees the birds, the white birds… they pick the poor thing apart. It is nature, it is only <em>natural</em> and still, it hurts to observe, almost like <em>he</em> is getting picked apart. </p>
<p>The birds rip and tear at the flesh of the fish, carnivorous and cruel, and Sehun steps back, horrified as his terror only grows, the center of the marsh growing closer and closer. </p>
<p>He barely sleeps that night, and for the first time in days, he lets himself think about being in Junmyeon’s arms, Junmyeon’s bed. The cool waters. The hot nights.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>On the sixth day, he finds it. The last storm-battered sign.</p><p>His heart races as he follows where it points, directly to the northeast towards a small gathering of trees. The words are carved into the wood with a bit more menace than all the rest, and Sehun brushes his fingertips over the etching. Finally, he steps from the beaten path, walking forward, and then… he sees the marsh that swallows the world. </p>
<p>In the center of the marsh, deep within, he sees the glimmering light of the Thunder Helm, and oh, it is like none other. Silver and strong, it rests upon a thick hollowed-out tree, a cavernous, yawning mouth shaped into the trunk. The teeth of the mouth are sharp, splintered, and sadistic. He wishes he could simply reach out and call it to him, but when he stretches out his hand, nothing happens. So close, and yet… </p>
<p>Still, Sehun’s heart leaps inside him as he realizes how fortunate he is. He has found it, and without much strife. At last, a simple task. Junmyeon knows <em>nothing</em>. Jongdae is just some kindly fellow with a lost item, and Sehun is simply the man to retrieve it. Easy as that. </p>
<p>The swamp around the tree at the center and thus, the Thunder Helm, is deep rust red and bubbling. Sehun’s never seen waters like these, and he wonders distantly if even Junmyeon could control them. They seem too wild, too <em>of the earth</em> to be controlled by anyone or anything.  </p>
<p>They look to be dangerous, so he tells himself that he will proceed with caution. </p>
<p>Without another moment’s hesitation, he begins to formulate his plan. After all, Sora reminded him of timeliness. </p>
<p>Hurriedly, he goes to one of the trees and snaps a branch off. It is several feet long, and he whips it around in the air to test its resiliency. It is quite strong for being so skinny. Sehun judges it worthy. He goes to the edge of the boiling swamps, and gingerly, he traces the edge of the waters with the tip of the twig. </p>
<p>Immediately, the acidic water, auburn and bubbling, begins to eat away at the wood. Sehun watches in awe as it devours the wood entirely, dripping into the water below. Soon, he is forced to drop the twig from his hands as the acid eats, eats, eats, somehow climbing up. He gasps as he watches what’s left of the little thing fall to the ravenous waters. </p>
<p>Perhaps it will be more of a challenge than he originally thought. </p>
<p>Looking around the edge of the swamp, he notices that there are black rocks, the same dull black stones from the palace. He steps onto the one nearest him, gently pressing his boot down onto it. It is softer than most rocks, and it doesn’t seem to be affected by the swamp water. <em>Strange</em>, he thinks. Is the mineral too strong? The acid cannot feast upon it? </p>
<p>He reaches down to his bag, rummages through before retrieving his knife. He tries to chip a bit of the stone away, and he finds it much more malleable, easy to saw his way through a chunk. It is exceedingly strange, the feeling of it in his hand. It is wet, light, and <em>funny</em>. He tosses it up into the air, amazed by the way it falls back into his hand. Strange. Very strange. </p>
<p>Everything here in these lands feels foreign to him. </p>
<p>He tosses a chunk of the soft stone into the marsh, watching as it floats, untouched. Scanning the area, he traces his path. There are few resting places, moss covered black rocks. He’ll only have to reach them. </p>
<p>He sets camp at the edge of the swamp, and he waits for the night to fall around him, and then, once the birds have gone to sleep, he walks around the circle of the marshland, sticking burning stakes into the ground. He will work quickly, he will have all the light he needs, and then… then he will be able to reach the center. </p>
<p>First, he gathers his supplies. Soft circles of the black stone, several large limbs of the tree. Once he thinks he’s gathered enough, he sets about making his transport. </p>
<p>He sticks to what he knows. </p>
<p>Sehun crafts a makeshift raft from whatever he can saw away from trees and the black stone. It is an ugly little boat, but he doesn’t let himself dwell on that. He will just need it to get him to the center and back.</p>
<p>“Oh gods, help me,” he whispers, hoping that someone, somewhere will hear him. </p>
<p>He sets the raft into the waters, pushing off as he jumps on, the rusty swamp rocking with waves.</p>
<p>Immediately he begins to use one of the tree limbs to push his way towards the center. The acidic waters are hungry, though, and he only gets a couple good rows in before it is swallowed. He tosses it aside, grabs another, and sticks it into the water. He lets it touch the bottom of the marsh, not exceedingly deep, pushing into the soft wet earth before propelling himself forward. </p>
<p>His heart is hammering in his head, the sweat pouring down his face as the swamp boils around him. The second stick snaps cleanly in half as he reaches the halfway point, and he curses. He’s only got a few left, and he needs to make sure he can make his way back. </p>
<p>Sehun pushes forward, trying to move as quick as he can, but the further into the swamp he gets, the more difficult it is to row. The marsh is like mud underneath him, and his little raft can’t do much inside it. He furiously nudges himself forward, throwing his weight behind every push, but his third limb dissolves, the acid steaming as it feasts. </p>
<p>He stands up, knees aching, overwhelmed, panic-stricken, moaning in fear. There is not much left to do. He must… he must do what he can. </p>
<p>He knows that he doesn’t have many options left. There is little time left though, he thinks, fearing that the longer he stays upon his makeshift raft, the less thinking he’ll be able to do. Soon, the acids will eat away at the wood and stone, and soon, he will rest within the acids too. Food for the whitebirds. </p>
<p>He looks up to the sky, and he wonders what Junmyeon is doing. If this will be his last act, he hopes that he can think of something beautiful as he does it. His lips, his heart. <em>Oh</em>, he thinks, <em>please let me see him again.</em></p>
<p>He breathes, listening to the sound of the night around him. The birds. The bubbles. He maintains that the earth is a beautiful place full of wondrous things. He hopes to see more of it. All of it. </p>
<p>Holding his breath, he steps into the marsh, and suddenly, the world falls out from under him. He feels the tingling water, rusty and hungry. It does not hurt as much as he thought it would, dying. </p>
<p>Confused, he looks around, falling into the red water. </p>
<p>It’s then that he realizes a painful, sick truth.</p>
<p>He has not stepped into swampland. He has fallen into a beautiful <em>trap</em>.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>i would say sorry for the wait but im actually not sorry lkajsdkjg ive been taking time for myself mentally, so i dont know when the next chapter will come out. in reality, it'll only take 1k or so, but that is not an inconsequential amount of effort. i am focusing on writing what i want when i want to write because writing this story has come to feel like an obligation and obligations usually breed resentment. i dont want to resent this story, so i will take my time and do as i please bc that's what's Best For Me. </p>
<p>as always, encouragements do help bc writing fic is lonely and sometimes very cruel. leave comments or nice words in the comment box or on twitter or on curiouscat if you want to see more of this universe. anywhooooo i hope you enjoy, rip to ur grandma but oh sehun is different </p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/okamiwind">my twitter</a> | <a href="https://curiouscat.me/okamiwind">my curiouscat</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. the retrieval of the thunder helm, part three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sehun is plunged down into the depths of the muddy red waters, and he panics, clinging to as much air in his lungs as he can manage to suck in. He sinks down, way farther down than he thought the swamp stretched, but when the marshy walls enclose around him, he realizes that he has begun to fall down into a sinkhole. </p>
<p>Fingernails in the wet mud, he claws at the walls to propel himself back upwards through the sludge and the muck. He is about to open his mouth, desperate in his need for another breath, just one more breath. It would be the death of him, certainly, and he climbs back up the sinkhole furiously, kicking his feet, flailing his arms until he bursts back up to the surface of the marsh, <em>gasping</em> for air. </p>
<p>He kicks his legs out, holding himself up over the sinkhole so that he can keep his head above water, and he thinks quickly, stuck there in the mud. </p>
<p>He should be dead already, shouldn’t he be? The way the waters <em>ate</em> the flesh of the trees… he should be dissolving, the skin melting from his bones. Bottom of the swamp… </p>
<p>The shock nearly overwhelms him, nearly paralyzes him, and it feels like <em>magic</em> along his skin, some kind of bubbling, boiling magic. That is when he realizes that the acidic waters of the swamp can’t touch him. </p>
<p>Confused by the tingling along his body, he swims through the muck as best he can, his muscles twinging with pain as he sweeps the boiling mud behind him. He moves towards one of the black rocks, hoisting himself up onto it as he tries to relax his body and his mind. Once he is safe, he stares down at the mess of his boots, shaking one away. It drips away from his foot.  </p>
<p>The mud has eaten away at his clothes, and <em>Gods</em>, he is naked save for the thick coating of sludge. He is amazed, in awe, but he has little time to worry over such things. He’s got more important things to worry about. </p>
<p>Grimacing, he turns back towards the lake, trying to measure out the distance from rock to rock. Some will be too difficult to jump to, and he’ll be forced to swim. Swim through the swamp. He shudders. He does not like the feeling, not one bit. </p>
<p>Sehun bends his knees as he keeps his eyes forward, testing his joints as he swings his arms. He will launch himself forward. In one, two, three… </p>
<p>He leaps forward, falling to his stomach onto the big rock. His body jolts with pain, but he smiles. Only a few more jumps to go. He makes his way through, jumping from rock to rock as far as he can stretch, but the last little gap between the rock and the island at the center of the marsh is too far to jump across. He must take his chances with swimming across. </p>
<p>Sehun closes his eyes. He must go carefully. He doesn’t want to reach the bottom of another sinkhole. </p>
<p>He lowers himself into the marsh again, and the waters bubble thickly along his skin. He moves his foot slowly in front of him, pressing down into the earth to ensure its stability before slipping his weight forward onto that foot. He repeats the process, keeping his chin above the waters as he moves, trying to keep calm as he moves. He cannot say how long he meanders his way through the stinking bog, but each moment grates on him a little bit more, gives him just a little more of a grit in his teeth. </p>
<p>Once he is finally within reach of the island, he takes the soil in his hands, clawing at it so that he can lift himself up onto solid ground. It takes great effort, the swamp waters clinging to him, sticky and viscous, but eventually, he is flat on the earth, chest heaving, naked. </p>
<p>Gasping for breath, he stands, walks over, and takes the helm from the mouth of the tree trunk. He’s done it. He’s made it. Now, he’ll only need to make it back. </p>
<p>Then, from the woods, he hears something. The snapping of twigs. The wet rustle of leaves.</p>
<p>Sehun turns sharply, and in the eerie glow of the amber fire, he sees a familiar, welcome face. </p>
<p>“Now what were you doing just now, flailing about in that catfish’s trap?” Sora asks. </p>
<p>“I… I confess I don’t know,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“You better be more careful,” she says. “You won’t always have me around here to rescue you.” </p>
<p>“In my experience,” Sehun says harshly, the breath coming hard, “there are always people to save me.” </p>
<p>She smiles toothlessly at him before she looks across him. “H-How did you keep yourself from blistering?” </p>
<p>“The marsh does not eat the flesh of man,” he says, and he dunks the tip of his toe back into the swamp. “See?” </p>
<p>“Boy,” she says, narrowing her brow, “I’ve lived here all my life. You think I don’t know what these swamplands can do?” </p>
<p>“I swear, my lady,” Sehun says, “no trickery.” </p>
<p>She looks him over, and Sehun assumes she judges him to be telling the truth. </p>
<p>“Maybe these waters have taken a liking to you,” Sora says. “For even one drop of this water would eat anyone else to the bone, my dear.” Sehun stares down at the water in shock, and he looks back up at her. “Come now. Swim back here, and I will clothe you. You look a fool in the middle of these woods.” </p>
<p>Sehun eagerly leaps into the water with the helm in hand before he remembers the catfish holes. He moves deftly around them, doing his level best to avoid the sinking holes. </p>
<p>When the journey is over, all the battles won, he stands in front of the little toothless woman with the bouncy white hair, the helm hanging from his hand, dripping acidic mud onto the earth. It chews little holes into the soil. </p>
<p>“What now?” he wonders. </p>
<p>“Well, I suppose you better get the king his hat,” she says. “Is that not your grand purpose?” </p>
<p>He huffs out a laugh. “I suppose.” </p>
<p>“Here,” she says, and she shrugs her cloak off from her back. “Make yourself decent. You’re in front of a respected elder.” </p>
<p>Sehun ties the cloak around his neck and his middle, and it hangs just above the knee, much too short for him. He probably looks very silly. </p>
<p>“Thank you for coming to check on me,” Sehun says, and he bows his head, more mud dripping from the longer lengths of his hair. “You did not need to, my lady, and yet…” </p>
<p>“And yet I did,” she says, and she takes her bag from off her back, offering him a ripe, round fruit, purple and sweet looking. “I suppose it’s in my nature to take care of all the strays.” </p>
<p>Sehun smiles as he takes the fruit from her hand, eating it eagerly. The last time he had a good meal was from Sora, and Gods, that was days ago. He feasts upon the fruit as if it was the best thing he’s ever eaten, and truthfully, it very well may be. Sora encourages him to slow down, but she passes him another once he’s through, and then once he’s done with that, she gives him a waterskin. He drinks that down, thirst wetted. </p>
<p>“Thank you,” he gasps. “For everything.” </p>
<p>“It is nothing,” she says. “Consider it a favor for a fellow human.” </p>
<p>Sehun’s heart clenches in his chest as he realizes how greedy he must look to everyone else. Doing all this, and for what? </p>
<p>“I should be off,” Sehun says, and he lifts the helm weakly. “This needs returning.” </p>
<p>“I will accompany you,” she says. “Traveling is always easier as a pair.” </p>
<p>“M-My lady,” Sehun says, “you don’t need to do that.” </p>
<p>“Oh, these old bones could use the exercise, I think,” Sora says. “And I should like to give that reckless god a piece of my mind.” </p>
<p>He cannot deny his excitement over the prospect, so he allows her to stick her cane under his hand, limping forward back to the black palace. </p>
<p>“How did you know I was here?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“Besides the fact that you told me exactly where you’d be, the whole forest heard you wailing,” Sora says, and she covers him with her cloak. “That scared of mud when you knew it couldn’t even harm you?” </p>
<p>“Well, I didn’t know <em>then</em>,” Sehun stresses, and she throws her head back with a guffaw. “Oh, you’re teasing me.” </p>
<p>“Only a bit, boy,” she says, and she keeps her distance from him as the muds fall from him. “Come, let’s have you washed off. Can’t have you disintegrating all my cloaks, can we?” </p>
<p>“No, ma’am,” Sehun answers, and she leads him back to her home, a journey through the dark.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>The way back is much easier than the way in, and Sehun credits that to Sora entirely. She is good company, good fun on the road, and most importantly, she keeps him well fed.</p><p>“I think that’s the only reason you like me any,” Sora says as the rest after supper by the fire. “I keep you fed.” </p>
<p>“Is that not the reason strays stick around?” Sehun wonders, and she laughs. </p>
<p>“You’ve got a point, I confess,” she says. “I suppose I just need to keep good food around me.” </p>
<p>“So far as I’ve known you, I’ve never had a bad meal.” </p>
<p>She smiles at him, and he realizes that he has become overly fond of her. The kind of fond that will make it hard to go. </p>
<p>“What’s that look for?” she wonders. “Regretful that you’ve done a mission that he could have easily done himself?” </p>
<p>Sehun rolls his eyes, and the moment is lost. </p>
<p>“It is my quest,” Sehun says. “It is meant to be a trial. Trials are challenges.” </p>
<p>Sora shrugs her little shoulders. “He is not as bad as I say, I suppose.” </p>
<p>“No?” </p>
<p>“No,” she says. “I am filled with spite some days.” </p>
<p>“And other days?” </p>
<p>“Other days, I don’t care much,” Sora admits. “The gods are a fixture, that is true. Sometimes they just need…” </p>
<p>“What?” </p>
<p>“A shock to their system,” Sora says, eyes warm with affection. “When you’re old like me, you can feel the change in the winds. You can see the waters roll in different directions before they’ve begun to crest.” She points her finger at him. “Something about you. I suppose… all along, you were right.” </p>
<p>Sehun is filled with the sort of pride that is beginning to feel familiar. Will it ever feel as natural on him as it looks on Junmyeon? He wonders. </p>
<p>“How many tasks do you have left?” Sora wonders. </p>
<p>“Four,” Sehun says. “I’ve already dealt with Baekhyun, with Yixing, and now, with Jongdae.” He holds up his fingers. “So now there’s just… Jongin, Kyungsoo, Chanyeol, and Minseok.” </p>
<p>“Have you not miscounted?” Sora laughs before her face cracks into understanding. “Oh. So it is the water god you’ve fallen for. Our Suho.” </p>
<p>Sehun looks away, caught. </p>
<p>“It is,” he admits. </p>
<p>“You think he will not have a task for you?” she asks. </p>
<p>“He would never.” </p>
<p>“Ah, and yet…” </p>
<p>“And yet?” </p>
<p>“I’ve only heard tell of one mortal making this climb once before,” Sora says. “And every god required her to complete a test.” She shrugs her shoulders again. “Perhaps it is different. Perhaps you are right.” </p>
<p>Sehun’s stomach turns over as he thinks about what Junmyeon could make him do. Anything, truthfully. There are no rules. And he never even thought to ask. Always just <em>assumed</em> that Junmyeon would never do such a thing. </p>
<p>“Oh, don’t pout,” she says. “You look like a spoiled child when you do that.” </p>
<p>She stands from the fire, and they share the lean-to together. He listens to the soft sounds of her sleep and he tries to find that same sleep. It doesn’t come. All he can think about is Junmyeon. The whispers of betrayal. </p>
<p>"Do you think I've made a mistake?" Sehun whispers in the deep, long night. </p>
<p>"Don't go get scared now," she warns. "It only makes you weak." </p>
<p>"The road is long behind, but even longer ahead," Sehun says. </p>
<p>"Once that meant something different," she muses. "Once, when the gods first gave us those words, it meant that life was full of struggle, that you'd faced many struggles but you'd face more before it was all over." </p>
<p>"I always thought it was... optimistic," Sehun says. </p>
<p>"It is now. You've done so much, but you'll do plenty more. And your name will be sung for years. Years and years. Centuries. Until magic dies." </p>
<p>"You think I'll do it?" </p>
<p>"Only if you believe," Sora says. "The road is long behind..." </p>
<p>"But longer ahead," Sehun says, and he sleeps that evening thinking about the road, stretching off into forever. </p>
<p>Will it be as kind as he would like it to be? Will Junmyeon treat him as he deserves to be treated?<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>Sora uses her walking stick well, and they make good time for a pair.</p><p>She slows on the fifth day. </p>
<p>"Go on ahead," she says breathlessly. "I'll catch up." </p>
<p>"Don't be foolish," Sehun says, and he crouches down in front of her. "Here. Jump." </p>
<p>"Do you expect me to ask <em>how high</em>? I am nearly eighty. I don't <em>jump</em>." </p>
<p>"I didn't mean <em>jump</em>," Sehun says. "I only meant... well, get on." </p>
<p>"On your back? You'll carry me?" </p>
<p>"It is the least I could do," Sehun says. "After all the help. All your guidance." </p>
<p>"And the food and clothing," she notes.</p>
<p>"Yes, precisely. So jump on." </p>
<p>"What did I say about <em>jump</em>?" </p>
<p>Sehun looks back over his shoulder with a blank face before she gingerly moves her frail legs around his body, her arms wrapped around his neck. He lifts her off the ground, and she sighs. </p>
<p>"This is truly the way to travel," she says, leaning her head against his. "Upon the back of a demigod." </p>
<p>"I am no demigod," Sehun laughs. </p>
<p>"Perhaps not," she says. "But you do have the looks of one." </p>
<p>"I knew it!" Sehun says. "You think I'm handsome." </p>
<p>"Oh, child," Sora laughs, and she knocks her heels against his side as if she's spurring a horse. "To the palace now. Don't waste another second."<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>Jongdae receives them in the black stone castle, and the sky goes a beautiful blackened red as he dons the helm once more. He stands back, arms thrown out as he approaches.</p><p>"Any friend of the water god's is a friend of mine," he says, pulling Sehun into a hug and then, horribly, a kiss. </p>
<p>Sehun's eyes go wide as he pulls back from the embrace, extremely confused. He steps back, gesturing to the side. </p>
<p>"I would not have made it here without this lady, Sora," he says. "She was indispensable to me." </p>
<p>"Yes, I know Sora," Jongdae smiles. "We're good friends." </p>
<p>"<em>Friends</em>," Sora spits. "You're an insolent little god, you know that?" </p>
<p>"See," Jongdae says happily. "Old pals!" </p>
<p>"What about all that with the fresh water?" Sehun asks. "About you..." </p>
<p>"Oh, don't embarrass me," Jongdae says. "Not again with the fresh water." </p>
<p>"Nearly lost this kingdom," Sora says. "All because he wanted the water for his own." </p>
<p>"I told you clearly, my lady," Jongdae says, opening his arms as if to take her in a hug. "It was a feud between us. He will forgive me one day! And then, I swear, all the fresh water in the world, it shall be yours!" </p>
<p>Sora looks between the two of them before settling on Sehun. "Suho is yours now, is he not?" </p>
<p>Sehun is filled with pride. </p>
<p>"He is," Sehun says. </p>
<p>"And you offer him your blessing?" Sora asks Jongdae. </p>
<p>Jongdae pats the helm on his head. "Of course." </p>
<p>"Make sure he doesn't forget that the feud is over," Sora says. "We deserve more fresh waters than just my little pond." </p>
<p>"The waters will be clean, I will see it done," Sehun says. </p>
<p>"And is that a promise?" Sora asks, raising a brow. Sehun nods. "All right, then. On your word." </p>
<p>"Sooner I take him back to Suho, the sooner it's all said and done," Jongdae says, and he reaches out for Sehun's hand. "Ready?" </p>
<p>"Gods, yes," Sehun whispers. He hesitates for Jongdae's hand, addressing Sora. "Thank you." </p>
<p>"My thanks will come later," Sora says. "Hurry now." She smiles. "Do well." </p>
<p>"I will," Sehun says. </p>
<p>He takes Jongdae's hand in his, and then, oh, they are floating.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>They stand on the balcony, Junmyeon's balcony, and the water sits pleasantly along his skin, in his lungs.</p><p>"You know," Jongdae says, standing back to look Sehun over, "I think we both knew that we were not meant for the other." </p>
<p>"If you knew it, why would he hold a grudge?" </p>
<p>Jongdae shrugs. "Think of the most passionate man you know. Triple it. You still would not have the passion that resides in us." </p>
<p>"Do you think he still... still loves you?" Sehun wonders. </p>
<p>"If he does, he has a funny way of showing it," Jongdae laughs. "He called upon me, you know. When you were traveling." </p>
<p>Sehun's heart leaps. "Did he?" </p>
<p>"Wanted to know what I made you do," Jongdae smiles. "Got rather upset when I mentioned the waters that <em>he</em> poisoned." </p>
<p>Sehun smiles. "I imagine he would." </p>
<p>"I knew you would make it," Jongdae says. "You have the touch of a god's love. It will carry you through." </p>
<p>"Do you think?" </p>
<p>Jongdae shrugs again. "It's up to you. It is your choice." </p>
<p>"My choice?" </p>
<p>"If you want it, little river, I believe it will be yours," Jongdae says. "But whether you want it... you've never known his wrath. His pride. His lust. Ah, well... perhaps you've known that." </p>
<p>Sehun looks away, face flushed. "I should see him." </p>
<p>"Remind him that I treated you gently," Jongdae says. "I do miss him, somedays." </p>
<p>"You'll never have him again," Sehun warns. "Not so long as I'm living." </p>
<p>"And you mean for that to be an excruciatingly long time, don't you?" Jongdae smiles. "Worry not, little river. I have taken another, and he is much more... pleasing to me. I only miss Suho's friendship. His kind heart. I remember the feeling of his love. It is hard to be without it, wouldn't you agree?" </p>
<p>Sehun shuts his eyes, and by the time he opens them again, Jongdae is gone. </p>
<p>He looks out over the castle lands, the coral and the seaweeds, and the moonlight streaking through the water. He has missed this place. </p>
<p>Sehun parts the curtains as he steps into Junmyeon's chambers. Junmyeon stirs in his bed when Sehun goes to touch him, and once he realizes who is standing above him, his eyes go light with wonder. </p>
<p>“You are here,” Junmyeon whispers, surging up with tired limbs. “Here once more.” </p>
<p>“Yes,” Sehun answers. “Weary of the world, but here with you. Here to become amazed by the world yet again.” </p>
<p>“Amazed?” Junmyeon asks. “By what?” </p>
<p>“Any world that has created you is worthy of amazement,” Sehun says, and he buries a kiss to the soft place on Junmyeon’s neck, holding him by the nape tightly. “Never move.” </p>
<p>“You are the one always moving.” </p>
<p>“And that is why I require you to stay just where you are,” Sehun whispers. “I would hate to lose you.” </p>
<p>“The whole point of this is that you never will.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon sucks in a breath, and Sehun can’t say for certain what he’s feeling. He pulls himself back from the embrace, finds Junmyeon staring at the ground. </p>
<p>“What is it?” Sehun asks. “Tell me so that I might change it.” </p>
<p>“Do you ever worry about what happens when forever is real?”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?” Sehun wonders, and he takes Junmyeon back into a furious embrace, squeezing him tightly. </p>
<p>“Eternity is nothing to you,” Junmyeon whispers. “It is a falsehood. The never-ending road cannot exist to a person who can only see so far ahead of them. Their journey will end, and the road… that will end with them.” </p>
<p>“So you’re saying—” </p>
<p>“I can see the never-ending road,” Junmyeon says. “I can see the way it leads to infinity.” </p>
<p>“And I will see the same,” Sehun whispers. “My sight will stretch long once these tasks are over and done.” </p>
<p>“Sehun.” </p>
<p>He pulls Junmyeon back from his arms.  He stares down at Junmyeon’s star-filled eyes, twinkling in the night. </p>
<p>“Yes?” </p>
<p>“What if we tire of each other?” Junmyeon whispers, an uncomfortable shiver running along Sehun’s spine. “What if in the midst of the ocean of always, I no longer crave your touch?” </p>
<p>Sehun’s heart falls from his chest, sinking as if to the bottom of a pit. </p>
<p>“My love,” Sehun whispers. “Do you fear it?” </p>
<p>“The loss of this love?” Junmyeon says tenderly. “Every sun. Every moon. I worry over it always.” </p>
<p>“Are your feelings so fragile?” Sehun asks. “So soft and <em>breakable</em>?” </p>
<p>“Once, my feelings flowed like water,” Junmyeon says. “You did not know me then, you were not even born… and now—I fear I am much different now.” </p>
<p>“Then let time come for us,” Sehun says, growing in confidence as he stares down at Junmyeon. “Let it nip at our heels. We will outrun it always. We will spend this forever together. This never-ending road. We will walk it together.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon stares at him with watering eyes, breathing life into the moment as he kisses Sehun, lovely and sweet. He licks into Junmyeon’s mouth just to taste the moan, the sound of joy and pleasure, twisting and binding. He is lucky, yes, he is lucky to have something like this. A person who worries over him so. He knows that he has ensnared Junmyeon for good now. If he wasn’t trapped in the love, he would not care.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>The hours between the night and the morning are thin and nearly imperceptible, but Sehun has begun to manage it now. He can see the folds between the seconds, delicate and creased, and he can see the way time bends for them. He loves that feeling when the world makes room for them. He likes the way it feels against his skin. Velvet and new.</p><p>“What are you thinking about?” Junmyeon wonders, stroking his fingers through Sehun’s hair, fingers along his scalp. </p>
<p>“Time,” Sehun whispers. </p>
<p>“Time?” </p>
<p>“What happens to us when we’re no longer ruled by it,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>A kiss is pressed to his head, and Sehun hums. </p>
<p>“We are freed,” Junmyeon says. “Are you excited to be free?” </p>
<p>“Yes,” Sehun says softly. “I am. When all is said and done, we will go somewhere. Go somewhere new.” </p>
<p>“New?” Junmyeon asks. “You will have gone everywhere. Traveled all over the world.” </p>
<p>Sehun turns to look at Junmyeon, and he shuffles up to kiss him. “Then where would you like to go, my love?” </p>
<p>“When it’s all over?” Sehun makes a sound of assent, and Junmyeon sighs. “Oh, I don’t know. Somewhere lovely.” </p>
<p>“Tell me,” Sehun beseeches. “Tell me of the loveliest place you know.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon turns in Sehun’s arms, pillowing an arm under his head with a smile. </p>
<p>“There are lands beyond this one,” Junmyeon says softly. “Lands filled with the soft light of dawn and dusk.” </p>
<p>“Tell me more,” Sehun whispers. </p>
<p>“It smells like just before the morning,” Junmyeon says wistfully. “It tastes of quiet and peace. Have you ever seen a still sea and wanted to drink it even though you knew you would kill it?” </p>
<p>Sehun blinks, water in his eyes. Junmyeon has seen his soul somehow. Understood him on a level that no one ever has before. </p>
<p>“Yes,” he whispers. “Yes.” </p>
<p>“We are parts of a whole,” Junmyeon says, and his hand comes to rest upon Sehun’s pectoral, just above his heart. “You and I… the sunset lands. I would like to go there with you, my lover. I want to show you the world between worlds.” </p>
<p>“I want to see it with you,” Sehun whispers, and he takes Junmyeon’s hand in his, lifting it to his mouth to kiss at his fingers. “I want to see everything with you.”  </p>
<p>“There are apples there,” Junmyeon says. “Their flesh is pure gold. They are the sweetest, loveliest fruit.” </p>
<p>“When did you taste them, my lord?” </p>
<p>“Never,” Junmyeon says. “I was waiting.” </p>
<p>“Why?” </p>
<p>“Sharing them with you,” Junmyeon says. “With the missing part of my heart. That has always been my great dream.” </p>
<p>“Then it will be our dream realized,” Sehun says. “We will take the apples from the land of the setting sun.” </p>
<p>“Promise me,” Junmyeon says sleepily, eyes fluttering shut, more and more beautiful as the seconds grow. “Promise me that we will taste the fruit.” </p>
<p>“We will,” Sehun says, and he puts his lips against Junmyeon’s forehead, pressing a chaste kiss there. “I swear it.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>blah blah blah, does she ever shut up. </p>
<p>sorry if this kinda stinks, it just felt bad sitting in my docs and i couldnt fix it up well enough and i was just like "look katya they're gonna get this and be happy abt it or they're gonna get this and hate it and how exactly does it affect u if they hate it??? it doesn't." like wow i rly am my own god! who cares if no one likes it! no one likes the fantastic beast movies and they're making more of those so in short: nothing matters. </p>
<p>regardless, i do still kinda hope you liked it. i am a silly idiot, but i do still crave validation LOL okay, have a good day! </p>
<p>(also the swamp water is based off various kinds of acids that dont eat flesh but will eat through clothing and paper and things of that nature. apparently it's really common for tricksters and "miracle" demonstrations? isnt humanity sick lmao) </p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/okamiwind">my twitter</a> | <a href="https://curiouscat.me/okamiwind">my curiouscat</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. the taming of the fractia, part one</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He lazes in Junmyeon’s embrace, rising only when the sun is high overhead. He bathes in the crystal pools, letting the healing waters coat him, sit pleasantly on his skin. It gets more and more difficult to leave. It gets more and more difficult to tell Junmyeon that he will return to him when he does not know for certain. </p><p>Junmyeon is not the kind of person to stay still. Still waters go stagnant. Sehun worries over things like that. Forever. They spoke about forever, about worlds beyond worlds. </p><p>Sehun rests his head against the pillowed edge of the crystal pool, and he shuts his eyes. </p><p>He will make it so. If nothing else, he is determined, and coupled with love, he is sure that his determination will be unstoppable.</p><p>Sehun scrubs himself clean, though it does not take much effort. He bathes twice daily in these waters. He can’t help himself. The water is so very sweet. </p><p>Just as he is washing the soap from his hair, the waters softly sailing down his back, the door swings open. Junmyeon walks into the room, robes swirling behind him as he blusters forward. </p><p>“I’ve been looking for you, you know,” Junmyeon says, a hand on his hip. </p><p>“Will you take my apologies, my lord?” Sehun asks, and he stands, letting the sheets of water drip from him as the seas take their place. </p><p>“Looking the way you do, and you still have the gall to ask such a question,” Junmyeon smiles, and he steps forward, stepping out of his silks. They float in the water before gently falling to the stone floor, a flurry of color. He steps into the pool, his body against Sehun’s. “Will you accept <em>my</em> apologies?” </p><p>“What transgressions warrant apology?” </p><p>“The ones I am about to commit,” Junmyeon whispers, and he kisses along the column of Sehun’s throat, a hand clever between their bodies. “Do you tire of it?” </p><p>“How could anyone tire of pleasure?” </p><p>“Speaks the mortal,” Junmyeon says, and Sehun can feel the smile along his skin. “Once upon a time, I did not wear clothes for a year.” </p><p>“No?” Sehun asks. His hands come to rest on the small of Junmyeon’s waist. He marvels at it. His hands are almost big enough to close around him completely. “What pleasures did you take that year?” </p><p>Junmyeon leans back, eyes sparkling like dark, storm-filled skies. He reaches up to hold Sehun by the cheek, thumb brushing against the swell of Sehun’s bottom lip.</p><p>“Will it make you jealous, I wonder?” </p><p>“Wouldn’t you like it if I was jealous?” Sehun asks. </p><p>Junmyeon makes a gentle sound, the sound of rain. “There is so much time.” He smiles before he presses a kiss to Sehun’s lips. “I’d hate to spoil the surprises.” </p><p>“Then you keep yourself a mystery?” Sehun asks, and he presses his fingertips into Junmyeon’s skin. “To keep me interested?” </p><p>“To keep it interesting,” Junmyeon whispers. </p><p>“And when the interest runs out,” Sehun says, “what then, my lord?”</p><p>Junmyeon kisses him again, longer and sweeter. When he is finished, he lowers himself, shrinking before Sehun’s eyes. It occurs to Sehun that Junmyeon was standing on his toes. </p><p>“These last moons with you,” he says, voice thin with emotion, “I have treasured nothing more.” He holds Sehun again by the cheek, and his hands are so smooth. “It has occurred to me now that certain loves are endless. Sempiternal.” </p><p>Sehun’s heart leaps inside him. “What do you mean? <em>Sempiternal?</em>”</p><p>“Everlasting love,” Junmyeon says. “<em>Everlasting</em>.” </p><p>He is pulled apart with red ropes, tied back together. Bound. </p><p>“Do you mean it?” </p><p>“When have I ever said anything that I did not mean?” Junmyeon whispers. “Have I ever been untrue? Unfaithful?” </p><p>“No,” Sehun says even though the answer is <em>yes</em>. </p><p>“You leapt at the chance to spend this forever with me, didn’t you?” </p><p>“Yes,” Sehun says. “And I have not looked back.” </p><p>“Of course you have,” Junmyeon says, holding Sehun by the face now with both hands, staring at him like he is some precious thing. “And this is your humanity. <em>Questioning. Thinking<em>. Do you know what it’s like to be a god? To be immortal?” He shuts his eyes, face falling into ecstasy. “It is feeling. Trusting in emotion.” He opens his eyes again, and he holds Sehun’s gaze easily. “Your first step into immortality was summoning the council. Because you leapt. You felt something so strongly you could not deny it any longer. You are special, Sehun. You have always been meant for something more.” </em></em></p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“F-For what?” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“For me,” Junmyeon whispers. “It is my understanding now that we are meant to exist together. That all my malaise and melancholy and misery was born from your absence. Now that we are together, how could I ever imagine a future apart? This feeling is ceaseless. Boundless.” He kisses Sehun so deeply that Sehun can feel it drip down into his stomach. “This is love honest and true, is it not? That word I heard so much about?” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Sehun stands there in the crystal pool, mouth agape as he thinks back, as his humanity pulls him back to the very beginning. He was a trickster, so eager to lure Sehun into his embrace. And now… now, Sehun has trapped him in a cage of his own design. Junmyeon stares at him with the simple truth of a man devoted. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I believe it is love, my lord,” Sehun whispers. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Then understand this, my beloved, my sun and moon and seas,” Junmyeon says. “I will wait forever if I need to. I will wait as long as I must. If it means I get the chance to spend always with you, then the waiting will feel like the snap of my fingers. Like the beating of a butterfly’s wings.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Sehun moans as Junmyeon takes him in a kiss that tastes better than any other. He stands there, besotted and entangled, and he comes to the realization that this is the rest of his life. Pleasures and pleasures and <em>joys</em> and pleasures. It fills him with impossible fire. Sehun has no choice but to lift Junmyeon from the pool. He steps out onto the stone floor, Junmyeon’s legs around his waist, and he walks back through the hall to Junmyeon’s chambers. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Lay my body down,” Junmyeon whispers, lips against Sehun’s earlobe. “Take me a million times and a million times more.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>They collapse to the bed together, and Sehun kisses him, hungry for him. Hungry and desperate for this love. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Yes, my lord,” Sehun whispers, kissing his way down Junmyeon’s body. “Whatever you desire.”<br/><br/></em></em></p><div class="center"><p><em><em>☵</em></em></p></div><em><em><br/><br/>In the morning, he wakes in Junmyeon’s bed. It is curiously empty, but there is an attendant decked in white and gold standing over him. Sehun squints, adjusting the sheets to shield himself.</em>
  </em>
<p></p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“You have been summoned to the great hall,” the attendant says, leaving his eyes purposefully high as if to signal his respect. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Summoned by who?” Sehun wonders, sitting up in bed.</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“His grace,” the attendant says. “Shall I run your bath?” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Sehun shakes his head, and he tells the attendant to wait for him outside. He prepares much the same as always, threading his arms through the softest watersilks the world has to offer. He ties them around his waist, runs his fingers through his hair, and his gaze falls to the small mark across his throat. He smiles as he thinks of the night before. Junmyeon’s wails that shook the ocean. The way he clawed at Sehun’s back. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Sehun adjusts the collar of the robes to cover a majority of the redness before exiting Junmyeon’s chambers, the attendant leading him. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>The attendant pushes open the doors, and fear devours him as soon as he hears the empty sound of Junmyeon’s voice. There is but one reason, of course, he would be summoned here to the empty hall. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Sehun steps into the hall, and Junmyeon is standing beside the coral throne, Minseok standing beside him. He is beautiful, equally beautiful, and Sehun stares at the two of them for a moment before gathering all his courage and strength and clearing his throat. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>They turn, Minseok bursting into a smile while Junmyeon frowns. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Healer,” Minseok calls. “To us, please. I have so greatly wanted to see you up close since our meeting.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Sehun crosses to them easily, bowing before them. Minseok waves the formality away, taking Sehun by the hands. He folds them up in his own, smiling at Sehun like the morning sun. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“It is my honor to see you again,” Minseok says. “I thank you for holding audience with me.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“<em>Healer</em>?” Sehun asks. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Yes?” Minseok says, a crinkle in his brow. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I’m no healer,” Sehun says softly, desperately hoping that this task has nothing to do with medicines or mixing. He never got any good at that. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Oh, don’t be silly. That’s what the people have taken to calling you now,” Minseok smiles. “Haven’t you heard? You have become the great healer for the gods, patching over problems so that we can go on.” He tilts his head to the side with a pretty smile. “Isn’t that precious?” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I-I suppose it is,” Sehun says, pride bolting through him. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“So, healer,” Minseok says, “have you enjoyed your rest?” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Very much,” Junmyeon interjects. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Fret not,” Minseok says. “I will return him to you in one piece.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“And you’re sure of that?” Junmyeon asks. “Even with—”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I would not assign him a task I did not think he was entirely capable of completing,” Minseok smiles. “But this is the healer. This is the boy who has become a man. He has found the long lost glimmerstone. He has slayed the terrible Ivy Skin. He has retrieved the Thunder Helm from the man-eating swamps! What can’t he do?” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Sehun wants to come clean, wants to confess that most of his successes have come at the hands of others, people he has met along the way who have aided him in some way or another. He is no healer. He is not even particularly talented or clever. All of his triumphs are because of dumb luck. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Sehun?” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Sehun is jolted from reverie by the sound of Junmyeon’s voice, by the feeling of Junmyeon’s hand on his back. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Worry not,” Minseok says, and he squeezes Sehun’s hands in his before gently letting them fall through the water. “You are more capable than you know.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Sehun nods, biting at his lip before he turns to Junmyeon. This will be another goodbye in the long string of farewells, but after this, he reminds himself, he will be more than halfway finished his quest. He will be closer to the end than he is to the beginning. He must remember. He must be strong. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Be well,” Junmyeon whispers. “Be safe, won’t you?” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I will do my best, my lord,” Sehun whispers back, and he gently rests his forehead against Junmyeon’s. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Do better than your best. Honor me.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I will.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Junmyeon kisses him furiously, hands on Sehun’s face as he licks into his mouth. He hates this part so much. He wishes he didn’t have to go without Junmyeon. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>When the embrace is over, he turns to Minseok, regretful and sad. Minseok gives him a small smile before offering him his hand once more. Sehun has several seconds to think, but in the end, all he does is feel. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>He takes Minseok’s hand in his own, and he is falling through the world in blue and black.<br/><br/></em></em></p><div class="center"><p><em><em>☵</em></em></p></div><em><em><br/><br/>They land with a crunch, and Sehun’s teeth immediately begin to chatter. He looks around, and <em>Gods</em>, he is overwhelmed. </em>
  </em>
<p></p><p>
  <em>
    <em>The land of ice, frozen far as the eye can see… it glitters in the sun. Diamonds. Beautiful, rare diamonds. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I forgot, I’m sorry,” Minseok says, and he pulls Sehun down by the shoulders, putting his arm around Sehun’s body. “Hurry, through here.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>He drags Sehun through the doors, wooden and thick and carved with swirling snowflakes, and he pulls Sehun to the nearest fireplace. Sehun feels himself begin to defrost, and when he reaches up to pet through his hair, he is met with crystals of ice. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Silly of me to not prepare you beforehand,” Minseok says. “I owe you an apology.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“No, my lord, there is no apology necessary.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I pulled you into the plunge of winter,” Minseok laughs, and he rubs a small circle on the center of Sehun’s back. “You are as placid as they say.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I pledged myself to the tide,” Sehun says. “If I am not placid, who will be?” Minseok smiles, and Sehun looks at him. Dressed in watersilk of deep royal blue, his sandals woven from shiny gold. “Your grace, aren’t you—”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Aren’t I what?” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Cold?” Sehun asks.  </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Minseok smiles again. “Your concern is appreciated, but misplaced.” He sighs, rubbing another circle to Sehun’s back. “I have never needed to worry over the cold. It affects me none. See?” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>He places his hand against the back of Sehun’s neck, and it feels like the deepest part of the ocean. Sehun winces away. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I must get you something more appropriate to wear,” Minseok says, and he steps back, nodding to Sehun. “It will only take a moment. Warm yourself by the fire.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Sehun nods, and Minseok exits through the far door along the eastern wall, giving Sehun plenty of opportunity to look around. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>The castle seems to be built of strong, dark grey wood, trunks twice as wide as him making the walls. Several large woven tapestries hang along the walls, and they bear snow-filled scenes. The hunt on the hill, a pack of ice wolves spitting shards of ice at the hunters. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>The fireplace is white and grey swirled stone, though Sehun can’t say for certain whether or not the grey comes simply from soot. The hearth breathes amber into the cold blue room, and Sehun scoots a little closer as he looks to the western side of the room. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Several large armchairs are built of the same grey wood, but the cushions are deep navy blue and look to be quite plush. They are arranged in a semi-circle around a table, and when Sehun arches to look at it, it is swirled with the same snowflake pattern as the grand double doors. Bookcases sit heavily with tomes of various sizes, the jewel-toned bindings exceedingly pleasing to the eye. Sehun holds his arms around his body to conserve his heat, and just as he’s about to stand to study the spines of the books, the door opens again. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Minseok now dons a white cloth shirt, a pair of soft brown pants, strong leather boots, and an elaborate silvery-grey cloak collared in white fur. He holds several articles of clothing that look to match his own, a beautiful white smile across his face. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>He looks perfectly northern, perfectly ready for a snowstorm. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I thought the cold did not bother you,” Sehun says, and he takes the clothes as Minseok passes them over. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“It doesn’t.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Then—”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Then why this?” Minseok asks, gesturing to his dress. “Makes the mortals a bit more comfortable if I look as if I fit in.” He grins. “Do you think they’d look kindly upon me if I demonstrated my power at every turn? Every talent on full display at all times?” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Probably not,” Sehun smiles, and he hugs the clothes close to his body. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Go,” Minseok says, and he points through the door he came from. “The fourth door on the left. I will wait for you here, and after you’re finished, we can discuss things.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Sehun hurries towards the door, directions in his head. He hurries past three closed doors on the left hand side, wondering what’s happening behind them before he settles on the fourth. He takes the small knob in his hand, gives it a gentle turn before opening it. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>The fireplace is cold, but there is a small oil lamp along the desk that Sehun lights. He lays out his new clothing, stripping himself from his silks before stepping into the pants, the shirt, and a pair of soft woolen socks. He is immediately warmed through, and he sighs out, body relaxing as if slipping into a pool of hot water. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>He steps into his new boots, tying the laces tightly, before fastening his cloak around his neck. It is the same silvery-grey as Minseok’s, but the fur lining is black, glimmering dark red in the warm light. The cloak’s clasp is a silver snowflake, the center studded with a small iridescent pearl. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>When he’s finished, he puts out the lamp, heading back whence he came. He finds Minseok sitting in one of the navy armchairs, a book in his lap. He looks up when Sehun enters the room, delight plain on his face. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“You look quite the part,” Minseok says happily. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Thank you, your grace,” Sehun says, and he moves his arms underneath the cloak, ruffling the material. “I am in your debt.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Not for much longer, I should think,” Minseok smiles, and he nods towards one of the empty chairs. “Sit, won’t you?” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Sehun does as he’s bade, and he holds his hands over his lap as Minseok closes his book, setting it on the table in front of them. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Should we get something to eat?” Minseok asks. “Something to drink?”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“That isn’t necessary, your grace,” Sehun says. “I don’t—”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Don’t be silly,” Minseok says, and he waves his hand as if he’s clearing the air between them. Suddenly, there is someone standing in the doorway. “Can you prepare the chamber’s table? Bread, wine, honey, and cheese.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>The man nods, and when he turns, Sehun notes the fractal pattern on this cloak, same as Minseok’s. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“There now,” Minseok says. “Much better, don’t you think?” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I suppose so,” Sehun says. “Your generosity is… is too much, your grace.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I trust that you will repay that kindness in time.” He tilts his head to the side, seemingly appraising Sehun. “Tell me, how did you meet our lord of the waters?” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Sehun’s face colors as he remembers his childhood plea, as he thinks over the way their bodies met time and time again in the white marble temple. Sometimes, he yearns for the simplicity of those times. Sometimes, he wishes he could return to that easy life. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I prayed to him,” Sehun answers. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“A tale as old as the waters themselves,” Minseok smiles. “How quickly did you fall in love?” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I think I have been in love with him since the moment he answered my prayer,” Sehun says. “But I only realized once he showed himself to me much later. He was so resplendent. Beautiful and gold.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Minseok puts his chin in his hand, elbow braced on the chair. He sighs. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Can I confess something to you? I am happy to grant you immortality,” Minseok says. “I would do it now without reservation.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Y-Your grace?” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Are you shocked to hear it?” Minseok laughs. “I am the oldest among the gods. You know this to be true, do you not?” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Of course, your grace,” Sehun whispers. “Eight fish encapsulated in ice to hold the universe in perfect balance.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“But perfect balance is not the way of things, is it?” Minseok says. “So when I learned to crack the ice, chaos and wonder and beauty broke forth. All the things to make the world shimmer and gleam in the sun.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Yes, your grace,” and Sehun is overwhelmed by just how lucky he is to be sitting here in front of Minseok. He bows his head. “Yes, of course.”  </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I can see things clearly, I can see them in ways the others cannot,” Minseok says. “When the light of the world first hit me unmarred by the barrier of the ice, I saw… I saw everything. I saw things you wouldn’t, <em>couldn’t</em> believe.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Of course, your grace.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“And so, Oh Sehun,” Minseok smiles, “I can see your heart for what it is. I can see right through you as if you were glass so clear it looked as if nothing was there at all. Do you know what I see in you?” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Sehun shakes his head, a tremor of fear running through him. Would he see goodness or evil? Love or hate? </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I see the resolve to see this through to the end,” Minseok says. “You are determined. Your <em>heart</em> is determined, even if your mind may wander.” He smiles. “This will be your fate. You will join us. It is known. Time has seen it to be true.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Suddenly, there is a knock on the door. Sehun turns with a fright only to see the attendant from before bowing to Minseok. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“The chamber’s table is ready, your grace.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Sehun turns back to Minseok, and Minseok pats his leg. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Come,” Minseok says. “It is the customary greeting in these lands to share bread and wine on the first meeting.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Sehun waits for Minseok to stand, and then he follows him back through the winding halls of the castle. He is overwhelmed by the amount of people who seem to call the castle home, passing room after room, apartment after apartment. They all bow to Minseok and Sehun as they pass, and Sehun nods towards them. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>It takes forever to get back to Minseok’s chambers, and he is immediately overwhelmed by how cold it is, even with the fires lit. The attendant leaves them at the door, shutting it behind him, and Minseok gestures to the long wooden table, the same grey wood, the same snowflake detailing. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>The table is covered with a spread of different breads and cheeses, white, brown, beige and yellow, and the goblets, tall and wide and filled with ruby red. Minseok pulls out one of the chairs, sits himself down, and gestures for Sehun to join him. Sehun sits, pulls his glass of wine to him, and sips at it gratefully. He is sure that the bad news will be coming soon, no matter how many sweet words Minseok plies him with. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Try the honey,” Minseok says, and he takes a soft piece of the comb onto a bit of the hard white cheese before popping it into his mouth. “It’s quite good.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Sehun’s stomach turns with sudden anticipation, sudden fear, and he folds his hands over his lap. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I’m not hungry.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Just a bite,” Minseok says. “At least a bit of bread.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Sehun stares at a loaf of a dark bread cut into thick, hearty slices, the top of the loaf coated in oats. He tears off a piece, and he is astounded by the subtle sweetness, the buttery texture. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“There now,” Minseok says happily. “I feel better.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Sehun nods, swallowing with a sip of wine. “Is it time now?” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I suppose the hour has come for us, hasn’t it?” Minseok says. “Well, I will tell you this… I don’t expect it to be an easy journey for you.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Sehun bites his lip, setting his glass down onto the table. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“It has not been easy thus far,” Sehun says simply. “I did not imagine that to end today.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“That’s the spirit,” Minseok says, and he takes a sip of his wine. “How much do you know of these lands?” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I have never journeyed here,” Sehun says, “I do not even know how far away from home I am.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Ah, home,” Minseok says happily. “Do you not reside within the sea now? Home is never too far.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Sehun smiles, looks down at the swirled pattern of the snowflakes on the tabletop. He traces the indentations with his fingertip, smooth and oiled to the touch. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“High on the mountain, there is a creature known as the Fractia,” Minseok explains. “It has been here for as long as I can remember.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Oh,” Sehun says. “So I’m to—”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Handle it,” Minseok says. “It is a fearsome creature, large… like a wyvern of old. Shimmering white scales edged in icy blue. It hides in the caverns on the mount. It has only been seen in the night. Like a beacon of light streaking through the sky before it takes what it wants.”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“A-And what does it want?” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Miners,” Minseok says softly. “None whom it has chosen has ever survived.”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Sehun swallows thickly.  “All right.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I don’t begrudge the creature,” Minseok says. “It is a beast same as any other. Same as you and I.” He gestures between them. “And yet… these are the lands I have claimed. It is a problem to be dealt with.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I understand,” Sehun says. “Fret no longer. If this is the task, then I will complete it.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Minseok’s eyes sparkle as he looks over at Sehun. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I knew that you would say so,” Minseok says, “so I offer you a gift of my appreciation.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>He stands from the table before Sehun can argue, going to the large whitestone fireplace, fetching something from the mantle.  </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“T-That won’t be necessary,” Sehun says. “I could not accept such a gift from someone so—” and Minseok thunks a large greatsword onto the table top, “generous.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“This sword was found in the Ice Lake of Norglen, buried in the frigid waters,” Minseok whispers, and Sehun stares at the intricate blade, folded and etched with foreign characters. “It is from the before.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Before?” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Before mortals,” Minseok says, ghosting his fingertips over the hilt. “Before gods. Before anything but the ice.” He looks into Sehun’s eyes. “Pick it up.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Sehun stands, and he takes the long hilt in two hands. Immediately, he understands the true weight of the blade, and he tries to hold it steadily. He gets used to the metal after a moment or two, and he looks to Minseok as if to seek judgement. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“It suits you, I think,” Minseok smiles.  </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Really?” Sehun asks, and the tip of the blade thunks to the floor. “I feel a bit silly.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“No, I think you were meant to wield it.” He lifts the edge of the blade, gently raising it until it rests upon Sehun’s shoulder. “There now. I believe you’re ready.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Sehun doesn’t feel ready, but he supposes that familiar feeling is here to stay. He nods to Minseok, and Minseok gives him a crystalline smile. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“There will be ponds for fishing,” Minseok explains. “It’s important to set fires whenever you can. Keep warm. The cold can kill just as easily as any creature.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I’ll remember,” Sehun says. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Minseok gestures to the bed, and Sehun’s bag… it’s here. He hardly remembers taking it. He must be better about such things. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Junmyeon instructed me not to let you forget it,” Minseok smiles. “He cares deeply for you. You know that, don’t you?” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Yes,” Sehun says, and the fear, the anxiety, it all fades away. “Yes, I know.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Minseok escorts him through the castle once he has his bag strapped across him, the greatsword leaned against his shoulder. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Rest when you must,” Minseok says, and when they are by the door, Sehun feels like Minseok is pushing him off towards the library. “Take care of yourself.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I will,” Sehun says. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“It’s important that you make it back.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I know.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Minseok smiles, and he pats Sehun on his free shoulder. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“I know that you know.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>The doors are pulled open, and the freezing, snowy air hits him squarely in the face. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Go now,” Minseok says. “And remember… all beasts are the same.” </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Sehun frowns as he steps out, lips going chilled with the snow-filled air. The doors are shut behind him, and he looks out onto the grand hills and valleys of the northern lands. When he breathes, he sees the air escape him. He can feel the red rise to his face. </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Adjusting the collar of fur around his neck, Sehun looks to the top of the great mountain. There, he will find his fate.<br/><br/></em></em></p><div class="center"><p><em><em>☵</em></em></p></div><em><em><br/><br/></em>
  </em>
<p></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hello there, it's been a while, hasn't it? </p><p>this story fell to the back burner because i was involved in some fests that i've since completed. tbats will now be my main focus, so i would expect more frequent updates as we go along to the end. i hope you enjoyed this part, i am really excited about the next two chapters ;~; </p><p>leave a comment, leave a kudos, leave an inquisitive kitten if u have any questions. i hope you're having a very nice day/week/month/life ! </p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/okamiwind">my twitter</a> | <a href="https://curiouscat.me/okamiwind">my curiouscat</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. the taming of the fractia, part two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sehun heeds Minseok’s warning well, doing his level best to find shelter as soon as he steps into the night. Maybe he ought to have journeyed in the morning? Then again, he thinks, better to start as soon as possible. The crunch of the snow underfoot is pleasant, but the rest of the journey, he fears, will be hellacious. He’s never been so fucking cold. He can feel all the water inside of him freeze over. </p>
<p>When he comes across his first cavern near the base of the mountain, he checks inside. Surprisingly, no such large wyvern is using it for shelter. He takes it for himself. Truthfully, he’ll take any victory he can manage. </p>
<p>In the center of the cave, there are three large wooden logs arranged in a triangle shape, and upon closer inspection, Sehun notes that they’re the same dark grey wood of the castle. He kneels by the little triangle, feels an inherent warmth in the wood, and he sets his sword down, fiddling through his bag for the spark powder. The flames light easily, take the wood and hold the flame along the surface as though… as though <em>fireproof</em> but capable of holding the heat. He marvels at it as he warms himself, imagining that he is once again by Junmyeon’s side. </p>
<p>Soon enough, he thinks. How hard could this journey possibly be? It’s just as Minseok said. He’s already slain the Ivy Skin. He’s dealt with creatures of immeasurable size and danger before. </p>
<p>What an incredible thought to have. Once, he was nothing more than a fisherboy. </p>
<p>He smiles as he lays his head to rest that evening, and the cold stone floor of the cavern reminds him of the walls of the crystal pools. Junmyeon, his water, the blood that runs through him… full of light and magic and love. </p>
<p>The image of sharp teeth leaps into his head, hard white scale and wings that span the countryside… </p>
<p>Sleep does not come until the night is blackest, until the stars burn brightly with yellow light.</p>
<p>In the night, he hears a sad song echoing in the dark, though he is not sure whether it is coming from his own heart or not.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>In the bright white morning, he is once again astounded by the cold. He pulls his cloak tighter around his neck as he steps out of his cavern, and he steps bravely into the day.</p><p>The winds are frigid and sparkling with ice, and he throws one arm over his face to block it from the chill. The sword against his shoulder feels heavier with every step, but he trudges through the snow, careful along the ice as he moves towards the mountain, shimmering with rainbow light in the dawning sun. </p>
<p>The great mountain is impossible to miss, capped in snow and with several smaller mounts sitting in her shadow. She is a beacon of sorts, the light trapped in the crystalline shards of ice all around her. </p>
<p>He walks towards the mountain, feet aching with cold after several hours, and when his stomach begins to ache, he pauses at one of the pools of ice, shattered little sheets along the surface of the water. He looks to the left. A small cavern nearby. Perfect, he thinks. </p>
<p>He peeks down into the crystal blue waters, and he sees large silvery fish. Sehun taps the sword on his shoulder as he thinks. He doesn’t want to reach down into the water with his bare hands, but what other option does he have? </p>
<p>He stands there and thinks for a minute before he realizes the large sword in his hand. Relying entirely on hand eye coordination, he studies the way the fish move through the water, beautifully large and looping circles. He holds the sword above the water, taking aim, and he thrusts it down into the pool, spearing a fish on his first try. </p>
<p>Sehun lets out a shout of surprise as he lifts the sword out of the water, the fish wriggling on the end of the blade. He hurriedly goes to the cavern, lights a fire, roasts and feasts. It is by no means the greatest meal he’s ever had, but it fills his stomach, and for that, he is grateful. </p>
<p>He puts out his fire with the heel of his boot, and he packs up, feeling refreshed and warmed through. A fire and a good meal will do that, he figures. </p>
<p>He steps back out into the freezing air, and he wonders if it will always sting the same way, biting his skin and kissing it raw. Distantly, he is reminded of Junmyeon. Then again, what doesn’t remind him of Junmyeon now? Everything he sees, everything he does, he finds little ties back to Junmyeon. Such is the way of love. He is constantly reminded of its presence. </p>
<p>Sehun refocuses his mind as he walks forward, making good time as he passes some of the smaller mountains in the distance. Miners are strewn about, and Sehun studies them as he passes. Their picks collide with ice, clinging and clanging, and Sehun frowns in confusion as he keeps moving, their laughter and their joy and the sounds of their work at his back. </p>
<p>They litter the ground with their things, with burnt up grey wood and their tents of white fur and the skeletons of silver fish picked clean. There are small metal pieces discarded everywhere, broken axes, waterskins that have run dry. Sehun cannot ignore it, for it is everywhere. The land is a ruin. </p>
<p>All this, Sehun wonders, for <em>ice</em> of all things? When it is so plentiful in the north? </p>
<p>Concerned and curious, Sehun stops before one of the miners hacking away at one of the large shards of ice. Sehun is about to greet him when the miner whips around, scowling at him. Sehun takes a small step back in order to put a bit of distance between them. Then, staring at the man’s pickaxe, he takes another larger step back. </p>
<p>“What do you want, hm?” </p>
<p>“N-Nothing, sir,” Sehun says. “I was just happening through.” </p>
<p>“Yeah? Just happening through?” the man scoffs before turning back to his work. “There is no <em>just happening through</em> here, but good luck to you, I suppose.” </p>
<p>Sehun stands there for another moment to gather his courage. Something about this man irks Sehun, but he certainly can’t betray that fact. </p>
<p>“Sir,” Sehun says softly. “Why do your people mine the ice?” </p>
<p>“Ice?” the man scoffs, and he throws his head back with a great, humiliating guffaw. “You think this is <em>ice</em>?” </p>
<p>Sehun squints, staring at what appears to be an extremely large block of ice before him. He turns, sees the fields of ice shards surrounding the base of the mountain.  </p>
<p>“If it isn’t ice, then what is it?” Sehun asks, hand braced along the berg before him. It is so very cold. </p>
<p>The man slaps his hand away, and Sehun recoils, affronted. </p>
<p>“These are <em>diamonds</em>, boy, and you best not touch one that doesn’t belong to you,” the man says. “People do not take kindly to that kind of behavior. Are we clear?” </p>
<p>“Yes, sir,” Sehun says, and he looks around them, stunned by the amount of men and women who flock to the glittering diamonds. “A-And so… these are <em>all diamondseverywhere</em>, you fool,” the man says, and he turns back to his plot. “Enough stupid questions. I’ve got to get back to work.” </p>
<p>“A-All right,” Sehun says. “Thank you for your time.” </p>
<p>The man says nothing else, waving Sehun away. Sehun bites his lip as he continues up the mountain, the walking trail making it significantly easier to scale than he thought it might be.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>Each day, he travels through the diamond miners, and on a rare evening, he hears an attack.</p><p>Sehun bursts awake, eyes wide and aching as he fumbles outside, a hand on the side of the cave wall to stare at the sky. And then… he sees the creature. The wyvern. The Fractia. </p>
<p>Against the bright black sky, the beast dips and dives in a cloud of white, shimmering and glittering. Tears leap to Sehun’s eyes, fear and awe racing through him. It is so much larger than he even knew, and the scales look thicker than any hide he’s ever seen. The blue along the Fractia’s belly is shining enough to reflect starlight, and Sehun shields his eyes as he watches the creature cling to the mountain top, claws chipping away at the rock. </p>
<p>He watches in terror as the Fractia climbs down the back of the mountain, slips inside. Sehun knows where he must go. Knows what he must do. </p>
<p>Still, it feels so wrong. Something so beautiful. So majestic and proud. </p>
<p>He doesn’t find sleep that night, and in the morning, he hears the cries. The wails. The villagers? The people of the North? He does not know. He rubs at his eyes, douses his fire in snow, and keeps moving.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>He passes mine site after mine site, all forgotten and left strewn with the forgotten debris of the miners. Eventually, the closer and closer he gets to the great mountain, the proud and lonely peak, the more difficult it gets to navigate. There is just so much scrap.</p><p>Gingerly, he kicks some of it away with the toe of his boot to clear the trail, feeling his heart pull in his chest. What kind of person doesn’t clean up after themselves? What kind of person leaves a mess for others to deal with? It seems so selfish. </p>
<p>He spears his supper in a small ice pool, getting rather good at it as the days pass him by. Truthfully, it isn’t as hard living here as he thought. No matter how luxurious his life with Junmyeon is, he remembers, he is capable of going back to how he lived before. How he grew up. His feet brushed along dirt floors. The richest place he knew was the temple devoted to Junmyeon. </p>
<p>He eats the red flesh of the sweet fish in the open air, surprised by the way the chill sits pleasantly along his skin. He doesn’t feel that cold, doesn’t mind it at all. Perhaps he is acclimating to the atmosphere. Maybe there is something to the concept of fate.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>Sehun gets too confident on his journey. He thinks himself too clever, too smart. That’s always been his downfall. Confidence coming too quickly and then leaving him when he needs it most.</p><p>He estimates that he’s only a couple days away from the summit now, all the walking finally coming towards an end. These boots are comfortable, he’s grateful for them, but there is only so much walking he wants to do. On top of all that, he has no idea how to get inside the mountain. He can only hope that he can find his way without having to scale the mountainside. </p>
<p>He circles around another of the smaller mountains, and on the other side, he is greeted by a lake of ice. It is so wide he cannot see the ends of it, glassy and cold. He sighs, defeated by the knowledge that he will have to add so much more walking to his journey. He might have to spend up to another sennight in this tundra. Who knows how far the lake stretches? </p>
<p>Curious, Sehun taps the tip of his great sword along the ice. It only scratches into the surface, never shifting the ice. His mind turns as he steps forward onto the ice, bouncing his boot and adding weight to the ball of his foot. It seems sturdy, so he steps on completely, both feet with his full weight. The ice feels as solid as the ground itself. Sehun jumps, looking for any sign of weakness, but there is none to be found. </p>
<p>He smiles to himself. A shortcut. He’s always liked a shortcut when he could get his hands on one. </p>
<p>Sehun walks forward confidently, and for the first third of his journey across the ice lake, everything goes exactly to plan. The ice is plenty thick, and he is safe. </p>
<p>Slowly but surely, Sehun realizes that his steps get less confident. The ice thins in certain areas, breaking under foot in one place. He gasps, moving backwards quickly before turning, rerouting his course across the frozen lake. He tests each step carefully, avoiding the areas with thinner ice, but the further across he goes, the thinner the ice gets. More and more often, he is forced to change course, his step bursting through the ice. </p>
<p>Then, misstepping only once, he is plunging through the depths of the lake, frozen through to the bone. A shock to the system, his chest aches with the need to gasp. He moves his arms and his legs even though it is excruciating to do so, the water so fucking frigid that he feels paralyzed. He hits the bottom of the lake, and he pushes off back towards the surface. Panic rises inside him, climbing his walls as he bursts back to the air. He sucks in frantic, desperate breaths as he tries to grab the ice in his hands to pull himself back up onto solid ground. </p>
<p>The ice is too thin, too fragile, and it snaps off in his hands. He cries out, pleading for his life as he swims forward, the cold jolting through his blood, making it nearly impossible to move, but the more he tries to lift himself up, the less room he has to scramble onto. He feels his eyes pang with pain as fearful tears leap to his eyes, and then—a burst of smoke. </p>
<p>A woman in a black cloak, glittering… Sehun’s eyes cannot get a good look at her, too hazy, but she stands on the fragile ice as if she weighs nothing, lifting him up with a hand. His teeth chatter as he is taken under her black diamond cape, the warmth of her body beginning to seep through him. </p>
<p>Wordlessly, she leads him to a small cavern, lighting a fire as if from nothing. She sits him in front of the fire, pulling him from under her protection. </p>
<p>“This is where I leave you,” the mysterious woman whispers, and just like that she turns, the fluttering of her black glittering cloak swirling behind her as she goes. </p>
<p>“Wait, wait,” Sehun whispers. “Wait, I—” </p>
<p>But before he can get another word out, the woman is gone. Sehun scrambles to his feet, following her out of the cave into the daylight, but looking left, looking right… she has vanished into the snow and white smoke. </p>
<p>Sehun leans against the cave’s wall, catching his breath. He very nearly could have died, <em>would have died</em> if it wasn’t for her… and he didn’t even get the chance to thank her. Silently, he sends a little prayer to Junmyeon, and he hopes that Junmyeon can hear him. </p>
<p><em>Bring me back to her so that I might thank her properly.</em> </p>
<p>After that, there is nothing left to do but keep going. He picks up his bag, his sword, and he walks off towards the mountain. Towards the Fractia’s lair.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>He keeps going, keeps moving, keeps remembering his accident. Who was she? Where did she go?</p><p>There again is the woman in a glittering black coat as if studded with diamonds itself. Sehun marvels at the clothing before she turns to him. Her hair is long and glittering golden in the sun and curled at the ends, and the bite of her lip is blood red. She is beautiful, supremely so, and Sehun steps forward to greet her as she waves her arms. </p>
<p>“M-My lady,” Sehun says. “It is dangerous here.” </p>
<p>She turns, and she wears a look of confusion that melts into curious anger. </p>
<p>“You know that better than most, do you not?” she asks with a smile. “I have never seen you here before.” </p>
<p>“I have just arrived in these lands.” He looks around. “What are you doing here?” </p>
<p>“I clean up after the miners,” she says. “No one cares for the mountain. They only take, take, and take.” </p>
<p>Sehun’s heart sinks in his chest as he watches her wave her arm, sending refuse away with white smoke. Magic. She has been blessed with <em>magic.</em> Maybe she knows how to deal with the Fractia. Maybe she can help him. </p>
<p>Suddenly, he hears a sound. That same wail as always. He turns back to the lady, eyes wide. </p>
<p>“Don’t worry about that,” she says, pulling her soft black hood over her face. “It is the lady of the mountain.” </p>
<p>“T-The what?” </p>
<p>“The lady Fractia, long may she reign,” the woman teases. </p>
<p>“She cries?” </p>
<p>“Every morning,” the woman says. “Weeps herself to sleep as we rise with the sun.” </p>
<p>“B-But why?” </p>
<p>“Why? Why does anyone cry?” the woman says. </p>
<p>“J-Joy?” </p>
<p>“Perhaps,” the woman nods. </p>
<p>“O-Or sorrow,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“Perhaps,” the woman smiles. “Every night she snatches one of those foul miners from their streets, their homes, wherever… and every morn, we hear the cry. She sings for the dead.” </p>
<p>“W-Why would she kill if she felt sorrow over it?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“Perhaps you were right the first time,” the lady says. “Perhaps it is a joyful noise.” </p>
<p>Sehun frowns, and he rests his sword on the ground. </p>
<p>“What, have I hurt you in some way?” the lady asks. “Forgive me.” </p>
<p>“No, I just… I hadn’t thought about what it meant,” Sehun says. “Y-You’re right, it does not sound joyful. It does sound… it sounds weak. A-Almost hurt.” </p>
<p>“You know the noise of a wounded beast so well?” </p>
<p>“It sounds the same as a wounded person,” Sehun answers. “We are not much different than them.” </p>
<p>The lady looks him over, studying him, and Sehun tries to stand up tall against the inspection. She smiles at him, but Sehun can’t tell if it is a pleasant or a mocking smile. </p>
<p>“Have you been wounded before?” the lady asks. </p>
<p>“Many times,” Sehun says. “Never so badly to kill me, though.” </p>
<p>The lady nods, and she turns to stare at the mountain top. </p>
<p>“The ice god has instructed you to kill the creature?” she asks. </p>
<p>“N-Not in so many words,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>She looks back at him sharply, sword on his shoulder. </p>
<p>“What did he say exactly?” she asks. “What words did he use?” </p>
<p>“He said handle,” Sehun answers. “Deal with the creature.” </p>
<p>The woman in the black hood hides a small smile, and she looks back to the top of the mountain. </p>
<p>“Go then,” she says. “Deal with her.” She looks back towards Sehun again. “You have a soft heart, don’t you?” </p>
<p>“I think so, my lady,” Sehun answers. </p>
<p>“Soften it more,” she says. “She is a lonely thing. Try to understand her, and you will see your task for what it truly is.” </p>
<p>“T-Thank you, my lady, I will,” Sehun says, and he bows to her. “A-And you left before I was able to thank you for your help on the lake of ice.” </p>
<p>“I do not require your thanks, only service,” she says. </p>
<p>Sehun opens his mouth to ask for clarification, ask what she means, but a cloud of white consumes her and all that’s left after she’s gone is the smoke. </p>
<p>He’s never seen anyone travel that way except for the gods. Could she have been—</p>
<p>It matters not, he tells himself. He is meant to complete his task, and he’s already spent too long lingering here. Something about this place, he thinks, something about it is enchanting. The cold doesn’t seem to bother him as much as before. Maybe his body has become accustomed. What will his return feel like? Will the water burn his skin?  </p>
<p>Shaking his head, he takes his sword from the earth and keeps moving, the base of the mountain much cleaner than he found it.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>Each night, he hears the Fractia rise from her cavern. Each night, he hears her return. And as the sun rises, she cries. Sehun finds himself aching every time he hears the sad song, stomach pulling as if he needs something. A distant, vague yearning for something. He cannot say. He cannot understand. But as he walks closer and closer to the ice caves deep within the mountain, he feels his tears freeze along his cheeks.</p><p>Brushing them away with the back of his hand, he resettles the sword on his shoulder. He keeps moving. He remembers Minseok’s words. Determination. He is determined. His heart has decided. </p>
<p>When he sees the hole in the mountain, the steps carved into the ice, he realizes that he must descend. That he has reached the end of the journey here. </p>
<p>He steps down, free hand along the wall of the ice as he takes it step by step, steadily moving downwards. It must lead to where the Fractia sleeps, rests, and Sehun will find her there. And he will handle her. </p>
<p>The madness of the twisting staircase into the base of the mountain is dizzying, and he gets turned around as he journeys. He holds his breath as he climbs down, as the air gets tighter and tighter in his chest. Just when he thinks he cannot bear it any longer, this enclosed staircase leading into the earth, he is released into the cavern. </p>
<p>The hollows. They glitter like gemstones even in the dark. </p>
<p>There is only one direction to follow, so he goes. Chases the beast inside him. He must return. The end is closer than the start. The road is long behind, but longer ahead. That used to scare him. Put the fear of the gods in him. Perhaps he is too well acquainted with the gods now. </p>
<p>He hears the beast before he sees it, great heaving cries that sound like it's already been wounded. </p>
<p>Perhaps, he thinks, he has a chance. One chance. </p>
<p>Stepping forward as quietly as he can manage, he moves forward through the blue cave, fingers trembling along the hilt of the great sword. He steps, steps, steps, and the snow underfoot creaks and crunches. He closes his eyes as the cave opens up, leads out into the unknown, and he gives himself a moment of peace. One last moment of calm as he listens to the sad song of the Fractia. </p>
<p>Junmyeon leaps to his mind, and Sehun finds himself smiling. He has seen the wrath of this creature. He has seen her fury, her rage. There is always a chance, of course, that he wouldn’t return to see Junmyeon’s splendor. </p>
<p>He desperately tries to remember Minseok’s words. Time, he said, time had seen him join them. Isn’t that what he had said? Gods, knife at his throat, it was so hard to remember now. </p>
<p>Breathing in suddenly, he hears the song cease. The moment has come for him whether or not he wants to face it. </p>
<p>Sehun stepped forward into the great cavernous mountain, and he saw death.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hello there again, everyone. i did say updates would come quicker.... i dont know if i meant this quick, but hey, this is what happens when i dont have my attention pulled between eight different projects at the same time lsdkajkg </p>
<p>anyhow, i have really been enjoying writing this part and i really hope you're enjoying reading! these chapters are a bit shorter than others, but i'm not gonna beat myself up over not hitting a word count if ,,,, i do the story-telling i wanna do in fewer words! thats better for everyone probably </p>
<p>i expect the 3rd part of this adventure will be finished at latest the beginning of next week! finger guns thanks for reading </p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/okamiwind">my twitter</a> | <a href="https://curiouscat.me/okamiwind">my curiouscat</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. the taming of the fractia, part three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Fractia was even more monstrous and enormous than he knew, shimmering in the dim light of the cavern, blue flames ignited around countless diamonds. Sehun stares in wonder at them. There must be hundreds. Unimaginable riches. </p>
<p>He turns his attention back to the Fractia who has not yet noticed him. She is icy white and blue, with wings of silver and navy, marbled and swirled. Sehun steps forward carefully, hoping not to rouse the creature. She cries, he notices, the beast weeps with a howling, haunting sound, and Sehun knows not what to do.  </p>
<p>He was sent to kill this thing, wasn’t he? The creature has killed. There is no grey to this, only white, only black, only stark divide. </p>
<p>And yet his heart feels cold when he looks upon her. He feels regretful and forlorn. This foolish heart of his, he chastises himself… it will be his downfall, he knows it. </p>
<p>Sehun steps forward, keeping his footsteps as quiet as he possibly can as he moves towards her. The beast does not stir, doesn’t seem to notice, so Sehun takes the opportunity to move ever closer. </p>
<p>Cold emanates from the creature, and he breathes in slowly, exhales just as slowly.</p>
<p>Then, as Sehun walks around to look into its snake-like eyes, the creature raises its head, spreading its wings as far as they will stretch inside the den. </p>
<p>It stares into Sehun’s eyes, and for a moment, Sehun does nothing but look upon it. It is truly as majestic as nature itself, as beautiful and inspiring as the snow-capped mountains or the unruly seas or the hilltop forests filled with hardwood trees. He has the near overwhelming urge to touch the Fractia, to bring his hand to the scales. </p>
<p>He leaps backwards, shaking his head from side to side. Some kind of trick, surely. He raises the sword high, and he swings it slowly from left to right as if to ward off some evil. </p>
<p>And then, they dance. </p>
<p>Sehun swings the sword as he chases the Fractia, a certain wild kind of madness boiling inside him. He must be strong, he must be swift, and he must end the suffering. The burning need to return proudly, it drives him forward carelessly. Wantonly. Like he is sipping from death’s cup. </p>
<p>She does not swing her claws at him, does not breathe snow and ice upon him, does not fight back at all. The Fractia cowers in front of Sehun, cowers before every swing, and Sehun’s heart aches in his chest as he shuts his eyes, lunges towards her. </p>
<p>He feels the impact, he hears the cracking sound, and his eyes spring open. </p>
<p>His sword collides with one of the diamonds, and it shatters like glass, a shimmering gemstone storm. He looks back to the Fractia, eyes wide as the beast recoils towards the far corner of the cavernous den, skittering backwards as if struck by the sword herself. </p>
<p>She sings, a mournful song that is all too familiar to him now. Tears leaps to his eyes, and he sniffs, confused as he rights his sword, stepping forward. The creature continues to cry, balling herself in a circle, wings wrapped around her gargantuan body as if she was shielding herself. </p>
<p>It is his only chance, he is sure of it. </p>
<p>He leaps forward, charging towards it, and it does not move. He stops, completely disoriented, and the sword hangs heavily in his hands. </p>
<p>The Fractia closes its eyes as if it has accepted its fate, and fear bolts through him. Why? It should be the thrill of success. It should be pure adrenaline running through him. He will win. He will survive. Sehun raises the great sword high above his head. Once through the throat, he thinks. He tells himself to swing. To swing and he will have bested the thing. That he will be able to return to Junmyeon. That eternity is waiting for him. </p>
<p>He shuts his eyes, and he breathes out. The tears freeze along his cheeks before they’re even able to hit the ground. </p>
<p>He’s so close. <em>Forget. Ignore. Kill.</em> </p>
<p>Gasping for breath, the sword falls to the ground before him. He whimpers as he cries, staring at the once beautiful, once majestic creature that he has somehow brought low. He doesn’t understand, but he <em>regrets</em>. </p>
<p>The Fractia’s eyes slip open, snake-like and white. Sehun stares at them, feels a tender moment stretched too thin. What has he done? </p>
<p>In a desperate attempt to get the creature to understand that he means no harm, he places his hand along the giant cheek. It feels so strange, tremors running through him as he strokes along the rough, dry scale. The Fractia blinks, breathes out weakly, and Sehun leans forward to press his forehead in the space between the Fractia’s giant, glassy eyes. </p>
<p>A second is cut one thousand times and one thousand times more, and images streak through Sehun’s head as if he is experiencing them himself. As if he is seeing them with his own eyes. </p>
<p>
  <em>The world is cold and strange when he leaps from the ice. The sword is his only possession, and it glitters with new magic. When he stretches his wings, it feels like all the best things in the world. Before this, he didn’t know the feeling of joy. Perhaps he discovered it himself. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>When he soars through the black, swirling skies, he breathes in smoke. He breathes out ice. The ice covers the land in snow, in diamonds. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He is alone, and it haunts him. The loneliness. He wants someone to care for, someone to care for him in return. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>When the people finally come, he tries so desperately to befriend them. They are only human. They fear him. He tries to make himself small, tries to show them that he means them no harm, but they push him back into the mountain. They hold him there. For years and years, he waits there on his own. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He tries to bring children forth, but even when he births them into the diamonds, the mountain is still too cold for them to live. They die in crystal tombs. He is met with overwhelming shame. It feels bitter and frigid, and he can never forget the taste, not so long as he lives. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The god comes one blessed morning, moving the ice as if it was nothing. The god makes a soft sound with his mouth, one he can’t recognize, but when they press their foreheads together, they can understand each other. The god tells him his name, Minseok. He has come to help. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The god brings him a woman. She is gifted, young, and smart and she cares for him in the cold long nights, the bright white days. He gifts her a beautiful diamond cloak, like stars dotting the night sky. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He gives her the power to speak his language, covering her with the god’s ice until she bursts from the shard. She is born new, and she can hear his thoughts.</em>
</p>
<p>Worry not<em>, the woman says.</em>I will always be here for you.</p>
<p>
  <em>And so the woman helps him, shows him where to give himself a family. He bears his clutch and each perfect egg is buried in diamond, warmed under the winter sun until it is time for them to take flight.  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The people… the people destroy them. Each and every time, the diamonds are taken. His children… nowhere to be found.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He cries in the mornings as he mourns his loss. Each heartbreak feels impossibly grander than the last. </em>
</p>
<p><em>Sometimes the rage overcomes him. On those nights, he takes one of them. He takes them to the mountain, and he lets himself be doused in the hot fire of anger. In those beautiful nights, all he can feel is happy vengeance, sweet on his tongue. By the morning, though, it is gone sour. All he can do is sing. </em> </p>
<p>Sehun falls backwards, overwhelmed by the grace and the sorrow. The Fractia blinks at him, and he can hear her speak now… her beautiful deep voice. </p>
<p>
  <em>Hello, traveler. I have waited for you.</em>
</p>
<p><em>I’m so sorry,</em> Sehun thinks. <em>I didn’t know.</em> </p>
<p>The Fractia blinks, lips of her maw curling. </p>
<p><em>Apologetic traveler,</em> she says. <em>Do you know how many have pierced my scale with the intention to kill me?</em> </p>
<p>Sehun shakes his head, a hand braced on her. </p>
<p><em>Too many to count,</em> she says sadly. <em>Too many.</em> </p>
<p>Suddenly, there is a familiar burst of white smoke, and the woman in the black cloak steps from behind the Fractia. </p>
<p>“You found her,” the woman says. “Did she show you?” </p>
<p>“Everything,” Sehun whispers. </p>
<p>She smiles. “Everything?” </p>
<p>“H-How long have you been alive?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“I am old,” the woman explains. “The Fractia keeps me this way so that I can help her. She has given me powers so that I can stay around for longer. She needs someone, you know. Someone to help her.” </p>
<p>“Because she is old too,” Sehun whispers. </p>
<p>“As old as the universe,” the woman says. </p>
<p>“S-She showed me,” Sehun says, awe leaking from every syllable. “I-I think she showed me everything, truly.” </p>
<p>The woman grins, turning back to the Fractia. She strokes down the long snout with her hand. </p>
<p>“She’s good at speaking to people who want to listen,” the woman says. She turns back to Sehun. “I saved you because I knew you would be able to help her. Help us.” </p>
<p>“H-How?”</p>
<p>“Then you must now know your true purpose for coming here,” the woman says. “The ice god has sent you to help.” </p>
<p>“H-How?” </p>
<p>“He sent you because he knew we needed you,” the woman says. “He knew we needed a intermediary. Sehun, beloved tributary and chosen farer of the seas, you are the bridge between god and man. The Fractia will live because of you. The people will learn to be generous and kind because of you.” </p>
<p>“B-But I don't know that I can—”  </p>
<p>“It matters not whether you <em>can</em>,” she says softly, “because you <em>must</em>.”</p>
<p>“W-What am I to do?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“Tell them what you know,” she says. “All hope is not lost for your kind. You can help.” </p>
<p>Sehun swallows, a knit in his brow.  He nods to himself. He thought this would be easier than it is. </p>
<p>He looks between the woman and the wyvern, and he is filled with glorious purpose. He was picked for this task. They have waited so long for someone to help. They have been waiting for him. </p>
<p>He lays the great sword at her talons, bowing before her. </p>
<p>“I will go to them,” Sehun says. “I will explain. I will make sure they let you both live in peace.” </p>
<p>“Tell them well,” the woman says, and then with a smile, “You have the Fractia’s blessing now. You will carry it with you always.” </p>
<p>Sehun lowers his head as she puts her hand on him, ripping him through space, a new journey before him. He wonders how difficult this might be. Beasts and people are not the same, he’s discovered. Beasts are easier to deal with.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>“It is rare for me to be so close to this place,” the woman says, her cape moving with the wind. “It stinks.”</p><p>Sehun sniffs, but he cannot smell anything except cold. “Stinks of what?” </p>
<p>“Sickness of the heart,” she scowls. “Monstrous and blackened. Necrotic flesh.” She spits onto the ground. </p>
<p>“I can see what the lady of the mountain did not send you to do her bidding,” Sehun rolls his eyes. </p>
<p>“You think they are pure? Free from sin?” </p>
<p>“Of course not,” Sehun says. “Still, the road is long behind, but longer ahead.”</p>
<p>She frowns. “What is that supposed to mean?” </p>
<p>“Never mind,” Sehun says, turning towards the center of all the towns. “Old saying down south.”  </p>
<p>Sehun hurries towards the hamlets, homey and small. There is a hall dead center in the midst of them all, built from the same grey wood that Minseok’s palace is. Banners of navy blue and silver stretch down the columns, fluttering in the breeze. It is quite beautiful, and Sehun wishes he came with a friendlier task. </p>
<p>Giant silvery braziers are raging with fire outside, and the night dances over him as he gets closer and closer. As he journeys, he wonders what tack to take with them. They have been mining the diamonds for as long as there have been people in these lands. How will his word change any of that? </p>
<p>He stands before the giant doors, and he breathes in. This is where he is decided. This is where he wins. </p>
<p>Sehun pushes open the doors, strangely light, and immediately the hall goes silent. Sehun looks between the tables as the people look back at him. He is out of his depths. That much is certain. </p>
<p>A long table along the head of the hall holds what Sehun assumes are the elders. They are older than most of the rest, wearing finer clothes. A woman stands, decked in white fur. </p>
<p>“What is your purpose here, stranger?” she asks. “It is a feast night.” </p>
<p>“I am here to treat with you,” Sehun says, and he clears his throat, trying to appear more confident than he feels. “On behalf of the Fractia.” </p>
<p>There is an uproar, swift and full of rage. Sehun is surrounded by angry villagers, and for a distinct moment, he thinks that perhaps people are less than beasts. More evil. Crueler. </p>
<p>The members of the head table, six in number, they look at each other, and Sehun is about to raise his voice to call for their help. </p>
<p>“Let him speak, let him speak,” one of the women at the table says. “Sit down, sit down.” </p>
<p>The people around him, dressed the same as him but wearing anger finely along their shoulders and between their brows, hold his gaze before they trickle back to their seats. They busy themselves with their plates, their wine, and Sehun huffs out a relieved breath. They will not kill him. Yet. </p>
<p>“All right, boy,” the first woman says. “You intend to treat with us on behalf of the beast. Go on. Treat.”  </p>
<p>Sehun takes a cautious step forward. </p>
<p>“T-Thank you, fine people,” Sehun says. “It is my great honor to be here before you today. These lands, the northern lands, I cannot say how beautiful it is here. The words simply don’t encapsulate the pure wonder, the loveliness, the splendor.” </p>
<p>“Enough with the formalities,” a younger man calls from one of the low tables. “Get on with it.” </p>
<p>There is a man, Sehun notices, an old man at the head table. He sits in the middle. He stays quiet, but he stares intently at Sehun. It makes Sehun shiver, a thread of intimidation strung through him. </p>
<p>“Y-Yes, of course,” Sehun says, and he puts his hands behind his back so that no one sees them shaking. “My purpose in coming here is to help you. To aid you. To solve the problems that have plagued your people for a long time now.” </p>
<p>A sharp cry of laughter, and Sehun turns his head. An older woman, greying at the root of her uncovered hair. </p>
<p>“Help us,” she mocks. “Kill the scourge. That would help us.” </p>
<p>“Y-You’ve got it all wrong,” Sehun says. “I must explain—”</p>
<p>“Explain what?” a man asks, and he stands from his seat, glass of red wine sloshing in his hand. “What needs explaining?” </p>
<p>“The Fractia is not as cruel as you think, not as dangerous,” Sehun says. “If you’ll listen, I can— </p>
<p>“Why should we listen to the likes of you? A stranger?” a pale, red-cheeked woman caws. “A <em>foreigner</em>?” </p>
<p>“I have been into the den of the creature,” Sehun says helplessly. “I have seen her and lived.” </p>
<p>“So you’ve worked out a deal with the foul thing like that woman in black,” a deep-voiced man says. “What does it matter to us?” </p>
<p>“No, no,” Sehun says, shaking his head furiously. “If you only stopped mining the diamonds, the attacks would stop. I tell you only truths.” </p>
<p>“Stop mining the diamonds?” one of the women at the head table asks. Sehun looks at the oldest man, but he stays quiet. “What are we to do, then? What will keep us fed?” </p>
<p>Sehun decides in that moment that it will not help his case, explaining about the children. He avoids the mention at all costs. </p>
<p>“A-And so it is pleasing to you?” Sehun asks. “To give your men and women to this creature?” </p>
<p>“Do not blame the faults of a godless abomination upon us,” a woman shrieks. </p>
<p>“Is there no sense of community here between you?” Sehun asks, looking around. “Between <em>any of you</em>?” </p>
<p>“Of course there is,” another calls. </p>
<p>“T-Then if there is community,” Sehun says, voice going tight with emotion, “we must find a way to make the attacks cease.” He looks around the hall. “How many more can we afford to lose?” </p>
<p>“You are not part of these clans,” a young boy says. “It is none of your concern.” </p>
<p>“If we stop mining the diamonds, we’ll <em>die</em>,” a woman says. </p>
<p>“There is no other way,” a man says. “There is no other resource in these lands.” </p>
<p>“There must be,” Sehun whispers. “I know there is something else. There is no way that—there must be an answer to this quandary.”  </p>
<p>He looks around as the people devolve into squabbling arguments amongst themselves. Sehun studies the hall itself, the way it stretches into the sky, the vaulted ceiling. The hearth at the center of the hall is white stone marred with grey ash, and then, everything falls into place. Suddenly, Sehun understands. </p>
<p>“What is the wood called?” Sehun asks, voice booming everyone else’s voice into quiet. </p>
<p>“Ironwood,” another man says. </p>
<p>“Ironwood?” Sehun asks</p>
<p>“Strongest wood in the world,” he says. “Natural to our lands.” </p>
<p>“Holds a flame longer than any other wood I’ve ever seen, too,” Sehun says softly. </p>
<p>“What’s your point?”  </p>
<p>“People all over this world would pay good money for such a thing,” Sehun says. “Has anyone ever brought it south to sell?” </p>
<p>“It’s our wood, our trees,” a woman says proudly. “They belong to us.” </p>
<p>“They’re going thin, these ironwood forests,” Sehun says. “Aren’t they? I’ve not seen many around.” </p>
<p>“That’s our problem,” another says. “And it’s none of your concern.” </p>
<p>“I am telling you,” Sehun says desperately. “This needs to change. You need to… we must act!”</p>
<p>“I think it’s time you go,” a man says, and he stands before Sehun, the wall of his shoulders broad and strong. “Back to the castle, then.” </p>
<p>Sehun closes his eyes. He has failed. What could he have done differently, he wonders. He isn’t sure. </p>
<p>“All right,” Sehun says, defeated. “I understand. I’ll go.” </p>
<p>He turns his back, and he walks towards the door. It is the lowest he’s felt in so long. He has well and truly failed. </p>
<p>“I’ll escort you,” the old quiet man says, and a hush falls over the hall as Sehun turns.  </p>
<p>“T-Thank you, sir,” Sehun says, and he bows his head in apology, “but that won’t be necessary.” </p>
<p>“It is necessary,” the man says, and he looks out over the rest of them. “We’ll take the beast up on her offer. As long as we stay away from the diamonds, she’ll stay away from us.” </p>
<p>Immediately, flames of war burst into the room. People from every table shout as they step back from their chairs, calling the man’s name before they curse it. <em>Fang.</em> Sehun watches as the chaos unfolds, as Fang gingerly steps up from his seat. </p>
<p>“Enough,” he says, the word cutting through the din. “He’s right. Greed has led us here. Lack of care and community. And the gods have let us do as we please. We were foolish enough to let ourselves come to near extinction. </p>
<p>He looks around. “Now, what have we left for ourselves? Just barely enough people to keep going. No longer are we the five great clans of the north. No longer do we sing our history proudly. No longer are we able to keep our fires fed with ironwood. We have decimated these lands that have sustained us for so long. And the beast was right to take so many of us.</p>
<p>Fang stares at Sehun. “I will go to the ice god, and I will treat with him on our behalf.” He looks to the left. “I will promise our cooperation.” He looks to the right. “I will promise our compassion.” He looks at Sehun once more. “And for as long as the Fractia does not harm another, we will not mine the diamonds any longer. We will sew new forests of the ironwood trees. We will learn to live with the land as we used to. We will return to glory. I promise you this.” </p>
<p>He bows before Sehun, and then suddenly, everyone in the hall is bowing to him. Sehun’s eyes water. </p>
<p>“T-Thank you, sir.” </p>
<p>Fang stands back up, a small smile on his face. “Nothing to thank me for yet, you’ve not walked with me.”<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>The journey to the castle is slow, but Sehun doesn’t mind much. In fact, he has come to find a charm in the icelands, in the blustery cold. Fang, despite his warning, is quite a lovely traveling companion. He keeps Sehun entertained with stories of his youth, and he boasts of his hunts.</p><p>“I’ve never been much of a hunter,” Sehun says softly. </p>
<p>“No?” Fang asks. “What was your profession before you found yourself doing… whatever this work is?” </p>
<p>“I was a fisherman,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“A hunter of sorts, no?” </p>
<p>“I suppose.” </p>
<p>“Did you have your own boat?” Fang asks. </p>
<p>“No,” Sehun says. “I worked for a man.” </p>
<p>Fang nods. “I can understand why you left.” </p>
<p>“Can you?” </p>
<p>“It is always preferable to work for yourself,” Fang says. “If you only have to answer to one person, then all the better. That’s not an option for most.” He nods towards Sehun. “You should count yourself lucky.” </p>
<p>Sehun hides a smile. He does count himself lucky even though he’s got several people to answer to. It just so happens that all of them possess magic, have marble and gold-laden shrines across the world dedicated to them.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>The doors to the palace swing open, and Fang heads inside first. Sehun is overwhelmed by the burst of warmth, pure fucking <em>heat</em> that leaks through him, and for a second, he thinks he’s pissed himself.</p><p>“Always feels like that,” Fang says with a wry smile. “When you’ve been out in the cold too long, that is.” </p>
<p>Sehun nods his head, still a bit concerned. </p>
<p>Fang gestures for one of the attendants. “Fetch him. We’ll wait here.” </p>
<p>The attendant hurries along as Fang takes a seat in one of the plush blue chairs that feel forever away. Sehun sits next to him, waiting with his hands on his lap. </p>
<p>Several moments later, Minseok bursts through the doors with a smile on his face. </p>
<p>“You’ve done it,” Minseok laughs. “I always knew that you could.” </p>
<p>“I’ll have that bread and wine now,” Fang says as if to call attention to himself.  </p>
<p>Minseok smiles down at him, takes Fang’s hand between his own. </p>
<p>“You shall have whatever it is you require,” Minseok says. “I am so glad that we are finally able to put these things behind us.” </p>
<p>“He’s good,” Fang says, looking at Sehun. “He was very good.” </p>
<p>“I knew that he would be.” </p>
<p>“They hated him,” Fang laughs, “but I quite liked him.” </p>
<p>“It was my great honor,” Sehun says, “to bring peace.” </p>
<p>Fang bows his head with a little smile. “So it was, young one. So it was.”<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>They eat bread, they drink wine, and after the agreement is put down in writing, writing from Fang’s own hand, Sehun finds himself in one of the spare chambers. He sits on the bed, resists the urge to lay himself in the covers. He’s still thawing, he thinks.</p><p>It was work, different work that has left him no less exhausted. No less ready to see Junmyeon. </p>
<p>He wonders if he will be proud of Sehun. It took a different skill set. Perhaps a skill he learned from Junmyeon. That of charm. </p>
<p>Sehun jolts at the sound of rapping at the door. </p>
<p>“Come in,” he says, and the door opens to reveal Minseok’s face. </p>
<p>“May I enter?” Minseok asks. </p>
<p>“It is your domain, your grace.” </p>
<p>“I’ve not yet forgotten my manners,” Minseok smiles, and he closes the door behind him. “Would you like time to rest, or would it be more pleasing to you to return at once?” He looks at Sehun, smiling. Apparently he found his answer there. “I figured as much. Ah. The story of your love has already taken a step towards legend, has it not?” </p>
<p>Sehun lowers his head, biting across a smile. “I do not know about legend, but it is… he is the great love of my life. That is for certain.” </p>
<p>Minseok pats him on the leg, and Sehun stands, Minseok following suit. </p>
<p>“You know there will be hundreds of Fractia now,” Minseok says. “They will make these lands lovely.” </p>
<p>“Lovelier,” Sehun corrects. </p>
<p>“You’re right,” Minseok says. “Lovelier.” He offers Sehun his hand. “Shall we?” </p>
<p>Sehun takes his hand, and they swirl through space, the most wonderful dance of all.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>It is dawn when they plunge into the waters, and Sehun is relieved, eager to change back into familiar clothing. He will keep the shirt, the pants, the boots, and the cloak, but he thinks that now, he is certain that his watersilks are his most favored attire.</p><p>Minseok breathes out, tilting his head to the side. </p>
<p>“I’ll never get used to this feeling,” Minseok says, chest puffing out and in and out again. “Well, I will take my leave. I’m sure you will have a pleasant morning.” </p>
<p>“I’m sure that I will, your grace.” </p>
<p>“Thank you again,” Minseok says. “You are as good as they say.” </p>
<p>“It is an illusion, I assure you,” Sehun smiles, and it feels more like the truth than a joke. </p>
<p>It does not seem to matter to Minseok, who tilts his head back with a laugh. He glitters in the sunlight, even as it streaks through the water. </p>
<p>“Perhaps that will be your downfall,” Minseok says. “The way you doubt.” </p>
<p>“It is not interpretation but fact. I have help along the way. Not from Junmyeon, but from others” Sehun says. “I could not be here without them.” </p>
<p>“And maybe that is why you are so deserving of the reward,” Minseok says, taking Sehun’s hand in his. “Because you inspire such loyalty in others.” </p>
<p>Sehun had never thought of it in such a way, and Minseok seems to know this, given his smile. </p>
<p>His hand whispers away, and he gives Sehun a little wave before he disappears into smoke, dancing through the blue waters. Sehun stares at the emptiness for a moment before turning back towards the coral kingdom, walking through the grounds that have come to be his home. </p>
<p>Eyes go wide when they land upon him, when they see his garb, and he smiles, giving them a bow of his head as he passes. It is still morning, he figures, walking past the towers on his way through the gardens. Junmyeon will either still be resting, or— </p>
<p>Sehun makes his way to the grand hall, and Junmyeon is sitting boredly on his throne of coral, hair dancing in the water. He looks so petulant and childish, a hand under his chin as he listens to someone saying <em>something</em>. He looks tired, exhausted. Darkness under his eyes. Sehun will take care of that, now that he’s home. </p>
<p>He waits patiently for Junmyeon to finish his business with advisors before he clears his throat. Everyone in the room turns to the sound, but Sehun is only looking at Junmyeon. </p>
<p>“My love,” Sehun whispers, but his voice carries. </p>
<p>Junmyeon leaps from his throne, casting aside everything else as he races across the hall. They collide, Junmyeon’s arms around his neck, Sehun’s arms around Junmyeon’s waist, and Sehun lifts him into the air, feeling so weightless and yet so heavy. </p>
<p>“What are you wearing?” Junmyeon whispers, burying the words into the fur by Sehun’s neck. </p>
<p>“Gifts from the north,” Sehun whispers back, arms going tight around Junmyeon’s waist. </p>
<p>“Shall I give you a gift from the south?” Junmyeon asks, and he squeezes him back. </p>
<p>“You are the gift, my lord,” Sehun whispers, and he presses furious kisses to the side of Junmyeon’s face. </p>
<p>Junmyeon suddenly leans backwards, and Sehun is made aware of the fact that they are not yet alone. </p>
<p>“Dismissed,” Junmyeon says, and the advisors hurry from the room like scuttling crabs. Junmyeon turns back to Sehun, lips red and full. “Hurry now. Kiss me properly before I—”</p>
<p>“Before you what?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“Before I kill you with my bare hands,” Junmyeon whispers. “It’s been so long. So long. How could you keep me waiting like this? I was beside myself with fear.” </p>
<p>Sehun studies Junmyeon’s eyes, wet and wild and wonderful. Does it get more difficult for him every time? What does he do in the meantime? Does he think about Sehun as often as Sehun thinks of him? </p>
<p>“Surely yes,” Junmyeon whispers, pressing a soft, sweet kiss to Sehun’s lips. “I split myself in two just to give you a piece of me. And now, whenever you are gone, I feel your absence as if it is a part of me. As if you are the missing piece.” </p>
<p>He kisses him hard, seasons changing and the world turning underfoot. They embrace in the lonely great hall, and Sehun hears nothing but the music of these familiar waters, nothing but the tide of Junmyeon’s breathing. </p>
<p>“I’m home,” Sehun whispers softly. “Finally.” </p>
<p>“Not yet,” Junmyeon whispers. “To bed. And then you’ll be home again.”<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>well now thats done :-) i hope you enjoyed. cant help myself from being like People are Bad, but i dont really think people are fundamentally bad..... i think its just very easy for people to take things for granted and follow charismatic people and adopt their ideologies bc you know. humanity. but. i dont know. i think im stircrazy. like my brains are just scrambled eggs now, that's how stirred they've become. </p>
<p>i hope you have a great week. stay safe and be well, my friend!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. the crafting of fire's kiss, part one</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mornings are calm in the sea. Beautiful and simple. This is a small infinity that they share together. He’ll string together as many false forevers as he can until he gets a taste of the real one. Sehun rides the waves as they roll in, easy as anything. He shuts his eyes, letting them carry him towards the shoreline. </p>
<p>“Tell me again,” Junmyeon commands, and who is Sehun to argue with him? </p>
<p>Sehun presses a kiss to Junmyeon’s hair, combing his fingers through the length as Junmyeon rests his head on Sehun’s chest. </p>
<p>“She was bigger than anything I’ve ever seen before,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“Bigger than the snake?” </p>
<p>“Much bigger,” Sehun says, and he scratches his nails along Junmyeon’s scalp. “Can you believe it?” </p>
<p>“The world is terrible and wondrous,” Junmyeon sighs. “She bathed her eggs in—” </p>
<p>“Diamonds,” Sehun whispers. “Ah. It was beautiful. The whole mountainside, covered in diamonds. Rainbow in the cold morning light.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon makes another happy sound, and he presses a kiss to Sehun’s chest. He was so cold before. Now, he is nothing but warm. </p>
<p>They lay there for another several easy moments, and Sehun lets his mind wander. It is certainly strange, the tasks set before him. They each seem to represent the god in question in some way. He needs certain qualities in order to make it through. </p>
<p>Intellect. Strength. Compassion. Resolve. And luck too. Has he got all those things? If he’s made it so far, he’s sure that he must have at least some. </p>
<p>He thinks about Junmyeon, what task he might have set if he had needed to. Something dangerous to be sure. Sehun would have needed all his courage, all his might… and cleverness too. And even then, he thinks, he wouldn’t have made it out alive if not for the help of others.</p>
<p>Junmyeon sucks a kiss to his chest, and Sehun stirs from his thoughts. </p>
<p>“What are you dreaming about?” Junmyeon asks, teasing, playful. “When I am supposed to be your everything, your skies and storm… you dream of another? In my bed, no less?” </p>
<p>“The only one who could ever amount to the lord of water is you,” Sehun whispers, “and if I was to take another, surely, you would have found a way to split yourself in two.” </p>
<p>“That would please you, I’m sure,” Junmyeon says. “You’d finally have enough of me to satisfy your thirst.” </p>
<p>“No, not even then.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon smiles, and Sehun can feel it along his skin. This feels like memory. Like they’re repeating old conversations. Ghosts alongside them in the sheets. It doesn’t matter to Sehun, he realizes. He could repeat this over and over. Never tiring. </p>
<p>There is a knock upon Junmyeon’s chamber doors, and Sehun turns towards it. </p>
<p>“A moment,” Junmyeon calls, and he throws the sheets over their bodies before calling, “Enter.” </p>
<p>The attendant, a short woman with curled hair, bows before them. </p>
<p>“A missive has arrived for you both,” she says. </p>
<p><em>Both</em>, Sehun thinks. Both is never good. </p>
<p>“Leave it there,” Junmyeon says. “On the desk. I’ll fetch it in a moment. Thank you.” </p>
<p>She bows again before leaving, and Sehun adjusts himself in the bed, sitting up against the headboard, stretching his muscles. Junmyeon squeezes Sehun with an arm around his waist, hugging him closely. </p>
<p>“What’s this for?” Sehun whispers. </p>
<p>“Only anticipation for what I believe is to come,” he says wistfully, and then the warmth of his body is gone, and he is padding over towards the desk. </p>
<p>His naked body cuts through the water with grace, and Sehun watches him as he unfurls the letter, the subtle tilt of his hip, the curve of his ass. </p>
<p>Junmyeon turns sharply, eyes hard. </p>
<p>“Come,” Junmyeon says, and he places the letter back onto the desk, rubbing his fingers against his temples. “Fetch your clothes. Get your bag.” </p>
<p>“Where are we going?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“To the shore,” Junmyeon says sadly, and he turns back. “It is time.” </p>
<p>He crosses to Sehun, lays his body down onto Sehun’s. </p>
<p>“B-But it seems like I’ve only just returned,” Sehun whispers. </p>
<p>“It does seem that way, doesn’t it? Time eats away at us now, but one day… when it is all over, nothing will be able to come between us,” Junmyeon says softly, mouth so close to Sehun’s that Sehun can taste his breath. </p>
<p>“I yearn for this day.” </p>
<p>“Chase it,” Junmyeon says. “Take it with fury and vengeance. Make the future yours and mine. Deliver us tomorrow, and I will give you as much love as you can take. More than you can hold, fisherboy.” </p>
<p>Sehun is bolstered by the words, and much as he’d like this ordeal to be over and done with already, there is a certain beauty in returning to Junmyeon’s waters, full of stories to tell. Victories to boast about. Pride holding his head high. </p>
<p>“I will,” Sehun whispers. “Tomorrow will be yours, my love.” </p>
<p>“And every day from then on will belong to us,” Junmyeon says. “Now hurry. Once more before we are to go.” </p>
<p>Sehun smiles, kissing him eagerly, his hands slipping down the soft skin of Junmyeon’s waist, their bodies coming together again and again.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>It’s been a great while since he’s seen Junmyeon above the water line.</p><p>He turns to Sehun with a small smile, walking forward to rest his head on Sehun’s shoulder as they stand there, the tides lapping at their bare feet. </p>
<p>“I’ve not had a reason to return to this place, not when I know that I could expect you at any moment,” Junmyeon says, and he wraps his arms around Sehun’s neck. “Imagine the horror, being without you for even a second longer than I had to.” </p>
<p>“Torture,” Sehun whispers, hands at the small of Junmyeon’s back. “Truly. How would we survive?” </p>
<p>Junmyeon laughs, holding Sehun tightly. The shore melts away, and suddenly, he is somewhere else. Somewhere just for the two of them. His eyes slip shut, and it is only them. White space, heavenly. The clouds, he thinks. They are in the clouds. What a wondrous place. </p>
<p>Then, Sehun hears the telltale sound. He opens his eyes to see the white smoke, the god stepping from the curtain of fog. He holds a small red flame in the palm of his hand, weaving it between the gaps in his fingers. Handsome, devilish. Sehun wants to smack him. Would if he could. </p>
<p>“Sorry to interrupt,” Chanyeol says. “Are we all ready to go?” </p>
<p>Junmyeon makes a desperate, frantic sound as he presses a kiss to Sehun’s lips.</p>
<p><em>Why here</em>, Sehun wonders momentarily before realizing that of course Chanyeol wouldn’t want to visit them below. What sort of power could he have there? </p>
<p>Is it uncomfortable, he ponders, living with supreme power for so long and then going a moment without? Does it feel like becoming someone new? Someone less than? </p>
<p>Junmyeon turns to Chanyeol, jutting a finger towards him. </p>
<p>“If he’s harmed—”</p>
<p>“Why do you assume he’ll be harmed?” Chanyeol asks, affronted. He turns to Sehun. “Did he accost my counterparts the same way?” </p>
<p>Sehun shakes his head with a smile, and Junmyeon scoffs at his honesty. </p>
<p>“I’m hurt,” Chanyeol says. “I’m devastated. You wound me, old friend.” </p>
<p>“You look well enough,” Junmyeon says, before he wiggles himself into Sehun’s embrace once more. “Promise me that you’ll take care.” </p>
<p>“I always do.” </p>
<p>“Take more care,” Junmyeon says. “Greater care.” He leans back, staring into Sehun’s eyes. “Did you know that you are my greatest treasure in this world? No matter how long my life lasts, nothing will compare to the gift of your love.” </p>
<p>Sehun huffs, eyes watering. There is no time for such soft words. No time for such lush thoughts. Junmyeon lays them thoughtless upon him, flowering wreaths of affection, and Sehun takes them. Will always take them. He cherishes them so. </p>
<p>They kiss there on the shore, and Sehun breathes out when they’ve parted, the warm air from the waves pouring over them. He shuts his eyes, trying to commit it all to memory. His lips. The water and the salt. </p>
<p>Sehun turns to Chanyeol who is standing there eagerly, a great smile on his face. </p>
<p>“Best go now,” Chanyeol says, “before you have another tender moment where I can see it.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon douses Chanyeol’s flame with a crashing tide, and Chanyeol gives him an unapologetic look. </p>
<p>“Remember that I hold your love’s life in my hands,” Chanyeol says, easily flickering another flame back into his hand, moving his fingers, the fire dancing between them. He cocks an eyebrow at Sehun. “Let’s leave before he tries to do that again. It’s uncomfortable.” </p>
<p>Sehun stares at the hand Chanyeol offers him, full of fire. Sehun clears his throat. </p>
<p>Chanyeol stirs from his reverie, shooting Sehun a confused look before looking down at his hand. Aflame. </p>
<p>“My mistake,” he says, and he puts out the fire before taking Sehun’s hand in his, disappearing them into the black and blue.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>He finds himself on yet another beach, somewhere with beautiful blue waters, the tranquil song of sea birds, and the gentle rustling of soft green leaves.</p><p>Sehun turns around, hair moving with the wind as he looks at Chanyeol. </p>
<p>“T-This is where you reside, your grace?” </p>
<p>Chanyeol gives a coy shrug. </p>
<p>“It is one of the places I like the most,” Chanyeol says, eyes closed as he lets the water’s wind move the fire in his hand. “It is a calming place.” </p>
<p>Sehun can confirm that to be true. The waters are rolling, crashing on the shore, the air is gentle and cool as she moves. And the sun… high overhead and warm on his skin. A loving feeling. </p>
<p>“Come,” Chanyeol says suddenly. “Let’s drink.” </p>
<p>“Drink?” </p>
<p>“Yes,” Chanyeol says. “And we’ll get something to eat as well. I’m sure you’ve been neglecting your stomach in favor of indulging in another kind of flesh.” </p>
<p>Without further comment, Sehun finds himself padding across the sand with Chanyeol. There is a boat near the trees, nothing more than a dinghy. It looks quite lonely, forgotten, but Chanyeol begins to dig into the sand near it. Sehun can only assume it belongs to him. He looks at the boat, confused. Does he live here? On the shore? </p>
<p>“A-ha!” Chanyeol exclaims, and when Sehun looks back, he has dug deep enough into the sand to reveal a simple chest filled with three amber colored bottles. </p>
<p>Two of the bottles are still sealed with wax, but the other has been dipped into. Chanyeol grabs the lighter bottle, and he picks up the edge of the boat, dragging it towards shore. </p>
<p>“Grab the pole within the trees,” Chanyeol says, and Sehun turns, shocked to find a perfectly adequate fishing pole within the treeline. </p>
<p>He goes back to the shore to find Chanyeol pushing the boat into the water, stepping in with the oars. </p>
<p>“W-What are you doing?” Sehun calls. </p>
<p>“You were a fisherboy once, weren’t you?” Chanyeol smiles. “Come. Let’s fish. Your talent precedes you.” </p>
<p>“S-Shouldn’t we discuss the task?” </p>
<p>“There’s time for that,” Chanyeol says. “Go on. Work with the rod and the reel, boy. Show me what you can do.” </p>
<p>Sehun steps forward, the edges of his watersilks soaked as he drapes them through the water. He gets into the boat, sitting opposite the fire god as he rows them away from the shore. </p>
<p>“Is this not the most dangerous place for you?” Sehun asks, watching as Chanyeol moves them over the sea, further and further away from land. </p>
<p>“What’s life without a bit of danger?” Chanyeol says. “Besides, I think I can keep us upright, so long as you don’t try something foolish.” </p>
<p>Sehun gives a shrug, and once he looks overboard, he is astounded.</p>
<p>He’s never seen waters so clear and blue, the fish spearing through the ocean in their shimmering schools. Chanyeol does all the work as Sehun watches in awe, and then, the boat rocks to a stop. Chanyeol immediately uncorks the bottle between his legs, and he takes a quick swig before passing it to Sehun. </p>
<p>Sehun sets the rod down, taking the bottle. He sniffs at the rim, and Chanyeol snorts. </p>
<p>“Try it,” Chanyeol says. “Finest there is.” </p>
<p>Sehun decides to put his trust in Chanyeol, and he takes a sip. The burn is swift, but he lets the liquor sit on his tongue for a second longer. That’s when he tastes the spice, the subtle sweetness. He lets it slip down his throat, and he raises a brow at Chanyeol. </p>
<p>“I make it myself,” Chanyeol says proudly. “What do you think?” </p>
<p>“Quite nice,” Sehun says, and he takes another sip to confirm. “Yes. Very nice.” </p>
<p>Chanyeol’s shoulders go impossibly broader, the confidence overwhelming now. </p>
<p>“All right,” Chanyeol says. “Enough idleness. Bring me the bounty of the sea.” </p>
<p>Sehun hasn’t fished with a rod in quite some time, but it comes back to him easily, and before long, he’s caught a lovely goldra, the scales bright yellow and glimmering in the sunlight, plenty big enough for the two of them. Chanyeol cheers happily as he turns their little boat around, rowing them back towards shore. </p>
<p>“That was easier for you than I expected it would be,” Chanyeol praises, “well done.” </p>
<p>“It had been my profession.” </p>
<p>“You’ve proved that, certainly.” </p>
<p>They get back to the shore, moving nearly in complete silence, and Sehun holds the fish as he watches Chanyeol push his boat back up to the treeline. Chanyeol then turns to Sehun with a brilliant smile. </p>
<p>“Come. Let’s eat.” </p>
<p>He walks through the trees, and Sehun is left to follow. </p>
<p>The sandy isle is filled with trees bearing light green leaves and bright orange fruits, and Sehun stares in wonderment as they walk down the beaten path. It leads to a small cabin of stone, one that seems to be built well. Sehun waits for Chanyeol to offer him entrance, and then he steps inside. </p>
<p>It is homey, though it does not seem well-used. There is a small wooden table draped with a golden tablecloth, a small metal stove, a wash sink, a counter of marble, and bottles of alcohol sealed along the wall, and next to the door, a small table with a large black book. Sehun watches Chanyeol grab a knife from his block, and he gestures for the fish. Sehun steps forward, and Chanyeol slaps the fish onto the marble. </p>
<p>Sehun observes Chanyeol expertly gutting, cleaning, and filleting the fish. The knife seems incredibly sharp, the way he slices and cuts with precision, and before long, Chanyeol gestures to one of the chairs. Sehun sits, and he waits as Chanyeol prepares him a plate. </p>
<p>He is amazed at the presentation. The fish is still raw, sliced so thinly Sehun can see through it when he holds it up, and it’s paired with thin slices of marinated radish and carrot, spicy and salty. Sehun watches as Chanyeol takes a piece, chewing happily. </p>
<p>“Go on,” Chanyeol says. “Eat.” </p>
<p>Sehun does as he’s bade, surprised and delighted by the flavor. </p>
<p>Chanyeol gives him a smile. “You’re easy to please, aren’t you?” </p>
<p>“I have heard it said many times.” </p>
<p>“Then I suppose it must be true,” Chanyeol says. </p>
<p>“I suppose it must.” </p>
<p>Chanyeol takes a sip of the alcohol, passing the bottle to Sehun for another sip. </p>
<p>“Well, go on,” Chanyeol says. “You must have questions that no one’s answered. I’ll answer them.” </p>
<p>Sehun frowns. “What?” </p>
<p>“You heard me,” Chanyeol says. “I’ll answer any questions you might have.” He lifts another piece of the fish to his mouth, swallows it easily before tilting his head to the side. “Well?” </p>
<p>“I-I suppose I’ve always wondered… the way you travel,” Sehun says. “How—” </p>
<p>“Jongin gave us the gift,” Chanyeol says, and then with a laugh, “well, he gave <em>me</em> the gift. And then everyone else wanted it too.” </p>
<p>“They forced him?” </p>
<p>“Not everything is so serious,” Chanyeol says. “They needled him until he handed it over.” Chanyeol pops another piece of the fish, radish, and carrot into his mouth. He crunches as he talks. “Anything else?”</p>
<p>“I… I do wonder,” Sehun says. “Did you want a kingdom?” </p>
<p>Chanyeol furrows his brow. “What an interesting question.” </p>
<p>“Is it?” </p>
<p>“Yes, very,” Chanyeol says, and he takes another sip of his alcohol. “No. I never wanted a kingdom. But when people see someone powerful, they want to worship. This is the way of the world, is it not?” </p>
<p>“I-I suppose,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“I don’t say god for a reason,” Chanyeol says, tilting the bottle towards Sehun so that he takes it. “They must only see power, in some way, shape, or form. And they follow it. Power is light, and everyone feels so surrounded by darkness.” </p>
<p>“What do you mean?” </p>
<p>“Do you remember the story of Hanbyul?” Chanyeol whispers. </p>
<p>“The boy who stole your fire,” Sehun whispers. “Yes, of course.” </p>
<p>“The people followed him,” Chanyeol says, and he brings a flame into his hand. “Of course they did. Why wouldn’t they? He had stolen from a god, possessed the power, and so… they followed.” </p>
<p>He sounds distant, forlorn, as if the memory has never really healed, the scar never fully disappearing. </p>
<p>“Did you hate him?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“For a while, of course,” Chanyeol says, a smile spreading on his face. “But he paid for what he took. And now, if it weren’t for him, who knows if I would be here speaking to you? A lovely companion.” </p>
<p>Sehun sits back in his seat, impressed. He had heard rumors of Chanyeol. Everyone had. The passion, the rage. Here, sitting before him, Sehun only got the impression that maybe the stories had been exaggerated, looming large over the god himself. </p>
<p>“Enough chatter, then,” Chanyeol says. “Your task, should you prove yourself worthy of it… you will craft me Fire’s Kiss.” </p>
<p>“Craft? It is a—”</p>
<p>“A potion, that’s right,” Chanyeol says. “The most impossible potion in the world.” Sehun sighs, shoulders slumping. “Defeated already? Aren’t you the saddest champion I’ve ever seen?”</p>
<p>“I’m just not very good at crafting,” Sehun says. “Never my strong suit.” </p>
<p>“Always time to brush up on your skills,” Chanyeol glitters. “Of course, crafting this particular potion incorrectly could mean your death.” He gives a shrug. “I suppose you better study up.” </p>
<p>He nods towards the door, the large black book on the table. The recipe. Sehun shuts his eyes. Perhaps he judged Chanyeol too kindly, too quickly. </p>
<p>“Don’t look so down,” Chanyeol says. “Spoils all the fun. Besides, Fire’s Kiss is a necessary brew.” </p>
<p>“What is the purpose of such a potion?” Sehun wonders. </p>
<p>Chanyeol tilts his head to the side, raising a brow. </p>
<p>“Aren’t you the curious one?” Chanyeol says with a mysterious smile. “It matters not. I need it, and you’ll craft it. After I have it in my possession, you will have my blessing and you’ll be free to return to the kingdom that stinks of fish.” He gives Sehun a charming, if annoying smile.  </p>
<p>It seems they have come a long way since the moments of free information. </p>
<p>“All right,” Sehun says. “I suppose I’ll take the book and be on my way.” </p>
<p>“Oh no, don’t leave on my account,” Chanyeol says, and he stands sharply, grabbing his bottle. “Stay here. Use the stove. Use the rum. Use the seas, whatever pleases you. It matters not. I’ll be away for a while. Call me with a fire on the beach when you’re finished, and I’ll be back quick as lightning.” Chanyeol nods toward an easy flame in the palm of his hand. “I can feel them, you know. Every little fire in the world, I feel it.” </p>
<p>With another clever smile, he disappears before Sehun’s eyes. Sehun looks around the one room cabin. At the very least, there will be a pleasant bed this time around. He stands from his chair, taking the rum over with him as he grabs the book from the table by the door. </p>
<p>He sits on the bed, cracking the book’s well-worn spine as he takes another sip from the bottle. It burns beautifully as it slips down his throat, and he flips page after page as he searches for the recipe for Fire’s Kiss. </p>
<p>Sehun studies the names, <em>Draught of the Moon, Hand of Ice, Vial of Lucid Dreams,</em> and he is amazed by the illustrations that accompany each recipe. Lovingly rendered designs of flowers, herbs, and minerals that Sehun’s never seen or heard of before. What kind of crafting book is this, anyway? Where and <em>when</em> did it come from? </p>
<p>Finally, he stumbles upon the correct page. The name <em>Fire’s Kiss</em> is scrawled across the top of the page in swirled calligraphy, clearly from a master’s hand. The recipe reads plainly, and for that, Sehun is glad.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <em>Fire’s Kiss</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>A single dose </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>First, ensure that you have harvested the lilifer herb under the full moon’s gaze. </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>Begin the craft under the black light of the new moon, filling a pot with three vials of sea water, three vials of well water, and a single vial of red wine. From right to left, stir in a circular motion for eight turns. Crush four blue barberries in your palm and cast them into the pot. Then, from left to right, stir for another eight turns. </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>Once the brew goes from red to yellow, grind the amycidot stone into a fine dust. Add three pinches. Do not stir. Wait for the brew to turn white.  </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>With haste, stir a cross, left to right and then top to bottom. Repeat the three times, and wait until the morning comes. As the light breaks over the horizon, pluck the flower of heat from its stem. Cast each of the seven petals into the brew, counting aloud.   </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>If all steps have been followed correctly and the brew has been successful, the result will be a potion light blue in color, yielding enough to fill a single vial. </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>Use with caution.</em>
  </p>
</div>The lilifer, the blue barberries, the stone, the flower of heat… there is so much to find, so much to be done and at such specific times. Sure enough, Sehun has his work cut out for him. He sighs, flipping the page to study the ingredients. Each rendering is accompanied by a description, a compendium of sorts. Sehun studies, committing it all to memory. If nothing else, he must be well-versed in his ingredients before he begins.<p>
  <em>The lilifer is a small flowering herb that grows in wooded areas. The flowers are short and stubby, the stem a light brown, the flower white and dotted with a burst of yellow at the center. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The blue barberries are large, plump berries, bright blue in color. They seem to grow on a wild bush, low to the ground.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The amycidot stone is buried within the earth near ocean rocks. It is amber, deeply faceted, and when unhandled by man, quite sharp. </em>
</p>
<p><em>The flower of heat is found at the base of the fire mountains. It is known primarily for its rarity. The seven-petaled flower blooms only once every ten years, and it is highly coveted both for its beauty and its medicinal properties. The flower is pale blue and striated with a deep navy. It emits a sweet smell reminiscent of forest fruit. The stem is warm to the touch.</em> </p>
<p>Closing the book, and setting it on the bed, he takes another sip of the alcohol. It simmers down his throat, and he gasps at the sensation. Everything's coming together. Ripe like a blood red apple. Eager for his touch. </p>
<p>It is a rarity. There is no mystery here, no questions to ponder or answers to uncover. Chanyeol made it clear to him that it is none of his business what the potion is for, and so he puts the thought out of his mind. His mission is simple. He knows everything he needs. He knows what he must accomplish, and he knows exactly how to do it. </p>
<p>Now, he must only go out and act. </p>
<p>Take what demands taking.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hello there, i hope you're doing well. </p>
<p>yeah, another part of this ol' girl. i hope you like it. i feel very "lets get you to bed grandma" with this story now. she's in her twilight years, and we're just counting down the days lmao </p>
<p>anyway stay safe and everything</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. the crafting of fire's kiss, part two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He wastes no time, packing the book under his arm and a fire in his heart. He trudges out of the door, feet through the sand as he begins searching for what he assumes could be most tedious but easiest to locate. </p>
<p>The amycidot stone, buried near the ocean rocks—he can almost hear her calling his name. </p>
<p>Sehun looks around for a spade, and finding none, grabs one of Chanyeol’s bowls from the cupboard in the hut. He heads to the sea stacks, large rocks jutting out of the ocean water, covered in sea mud and algae, and he begins to dig. </p>
<p>Sand is easy enough to shovel away, even heavy and wet. There is a certain peace in working with his hands, something that reminds him of long days at sea, the ocean churning underneath him. His mind is empty and calm as he shovels, muscles working as he digs deeper and deeper into the sand. </p>
<p>Once he has dug down deep enough to reach his arm into the ground to the shoulder and he’s found nothing, he decides he must target somewhere else. He shifts to the side, to the next stack, and begins to dig. </p>
<p>The sun raises high overhead as he works, sweat sticky along the back of his neck. He smacks it away with his hand, leaving sand there in his wake. </p>
<p>It is a thankless task, there in the heat, but Sehun carries on, shoveling bowl after bowl of sand behind him. He digs away the sand surrounding each of the stacks as the day grows long, and then finally, after hours of work toiling away, he sees a glimmer. Amber like the beginning of a flame. A spark of joy. </p>
<p>Burning with new purpose, he hurriedly scoops away the sand from the growth at the bottom of the stack. Once he sees the stone, he sees countless more. Excitedly, he lifts himself up from the sands and hurries back to the hut. He looks around for something sharp, something like an axe, but he finds nothing of the sort. Nothing but Chanyeol’s knives. </p>
<p>He worries over ruining something precious to Chanyeol, but he decides the wrath will be well earned. He takes the sharpest of the carving knives to the beach with him, and he begins to mangle it as he swings it down, haphazardly trying to free the stone from the stack. </p>
<p>Eventually, after practically making dust out of the metal knife, the amycidot breaks loose, and Sehun holds a beautifully sharp stone in his hands. He lays back against the beach, feet dangling in the hole as he holds the amycidot stone above his head. It is dirty, but even with the mud and the sand, he can tell that it is beautiful. Priceless to him. </p>
<p>Invigorated by his find, he rushes into the ocean with the stone. The sand falls away from both him and the amycidot, washed clean, made new. It sparkles in the sunlight as he holds it against the sky. He allows himself exactly one moment of pride before he brings the stone safely back to the cottage on the shore, setting it onto the table with joy. </p>
<p><em>One</em>, he tells himself, digging his nail into the page next to the gemstone. Three more rarities to fetch. The berry, the herb, and the flower. </p>
<p>He allows his watersilks to dry as he searches through the island’s forests for the barberries. Sehun keeps his gaze trained near the ground, holding his book against any berries he happens across. Bright red, muddy pink, a bruised purple. None seem to fit the bill, none so bright and blue as he requires them to be. Still, the silks light on his back, a success already tucked neatly under his belt, he thinks that his first day with his task has been lovely. </p>
<p>Sehun walks through the woods, along beaten pathways through the trees with the soft green leaves. He searches for the barberry bush, but more than that, he gets a feel for this island. He wonders how far from home it is. The air is moist and hot, but not oppressively so. Everything is quite lovely here. </p>
<p>The day fades into gold spun from raspberries, and Sehun explores, walking until he finds what he’s looking for. </p>
<p>In the end, he does not find what he’s looking for. He finds something better. </p>
<p>Sehun stumbles upon the wall. </p>
<p>Sehun knocks his fist against the stone, a plain red mineral, and it hurts his knuckles. He rubs at them as he stares up the wall, too high to scale. He begins to search for the gate, because if there is a wall, there is almost certainly a way to get through it. </p>
<p>He trudges through the sand brush, through the green and the beige and the grey as he tries to find the entrance. He keeps a hand along the wall, stroking along it as he walks. It keeps him centered, grounded, and he actually feels the gate before he sees it. </p>
<p>Remarkably, it seems to be built from the same stone, masterfully hidden in plain sight. Sehun touches along the small, nearly imperceptible hinge. Just as Sehun turns, looking for a way to open the door that only seems to swing out, it pushes open. </p>
<p>He turns, eyes wide as a man with big teeth points a small sword at him. </p>
<p>“Oh,” he says suddenly, lowering the sword with a smile. “The little river has found its way to the island.” </p>
<p><em>Little river</em>, Sehun thinks. <em>What kinds of stories do they tell of me?</em> </p>
<p>“Y-Yes,” Sehun says. “I’m sorry for the intrusion.” </p>
<p>The man shrugs, sheathing his sword on his hip before offering Sehun his hand. </p>
<p>“You are welcome here, Oh Sehun.” He turns away with a big, honest smile. “Come. Let me show you the village.” </p>
<p>Sehun follows him inside the wall, the gate shutting behind him. Sehun studies it once they’re inside, and he is amazed by the locking mechanisms. Twisting and turning gears, a hand crank… he’s never seen something so advanced. </p>
<p>Is he naive to be so trusting of someone he just met? A people so advanced? </p>
<p>“Are you going to just stand there and stare at the door?” </p>
<p>Sehun whips around, and he is greeted by the most lovely village he’s ever had the pleasure to lay his eyes upon. Simple yet refined, rounded homes that are built up, held above the ground on posts. They have big circular doors, all just as complex as the one he stumbled upon at the wall, and their windows flutter with yellow-white curtains. Sehun watches the people passing by, young and old wrapped in work aprons as they mill about. He looks to the left, sees an orchard, a garden overflowing with trees and bushes. To the right, there is a hall, and the walls are decked with long banners of red. </p>
<p>Each part of this place bleeds with Chanyeol’s touch. </p>
<p>“I imagine you are searching for quite a few things, are you not?” </p>
<p>“I am, sir,” Sehun says. “Three, in particular.” </p>
<p>“Then I hope we can help,” the man says. “It would be a great honor.” </p>
<p>“T-Thank you,” Sehun says. “Your generosity is appreciated.” </p>
<p>“Come,” the man says. “I will show you around.” He points back towards the wall. “Our greatest treasure, of course. The wall.” </p>
<p>“How did you build such a thing?” Sehun wonders. “It is amazing. A great feat.” </p>
<p>“Ah, it was gifted to us,” the man smiles. “As payment.” </p>
<p>“Payment?” </p>
<p>“The fire god, of course. A payment of sorts, he gave us the wall and never spoke of it again,” the man with the big teeth smiles. “Quite a generous gift.” </p>
<p>“Yes, I imagine so,” Sehun says. “A-And the door?” </p>
<p>“The door was our creation,” the man says. “The fire god can be silly. Thoughtless. He gave us an impenetrable wall with no way to get in or out.” He shakes his head in reverie. </p>
<p>“That sounds like him, I’m afraid,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“Know him well, do you?” </p>
<p>“I’ve only met him twice,” Sehun says, “but he leaves quite the impression.” </p>
<p>The man smiles with his big teeth and his small sword, and he sticks out his hand. </p>
<p>“Jiwoong,” he introduces himself. “It is a pleasure.” Sehun takes his hand, gives it a firm shake, and the man nods. “Well then, how can I be of service to you, Oh Sehun, great challenger, taskmaster, tamer of the gods?” </p>
<p>Sehun finds a blush creeping up the back of his neck, though he cannot say whether it is because of the words or the heat. </p>
<p>“First and simplest among my tasks, I must find the bright blue berry bushes,” Sehun says. “I’ve spent some time searching the island, but I cannot find anything close to their description in my book.” </p>
<p>He pulls the book open, pointing to the picture. </p>
<p>“Oh, the barberries?” he grins. “No problem, little river. We have large patches of them all over the village.” He gestures for Sehun to follow him. “Come, come.” </p>
<p>Jiwoong leads him to the center of the village, and Sehun stares at all the many fruit-bearing trees, some he’s familiar with, some he isn’t. Large, luscious fruits dangle from the trees, so tempting and sweet, but Sehun only stares in wonder as he is led into the heart of the orchard. </p>
<p>“Here now,” Jiwoong says, and when he spreads his arms, Sehun marvels at the bounty before him. “As many barberries as you could need.” </p>
<p>And it is certainly the truth. There are dozens upon dozens of bushes thick with bright blue berries, plump and shiny even in the dying light of the day. Sehun touches the fruit with the very tips of his fingers. </p>
<p>“How many do you require?” Jiwoong asks, and he moves to pass Sehun a harvesting basket. “Take them. Go on.” </p>
<p>Sehun looks at the basket, hand-woven and artful in its design. He looks up at Jiwoong, confused and happy as he takes it.  </p>
<p>“W-Why are you being so kind to me?” Sehun asks, gripping the straw tight in his fist. </p>
<p>“Why not?” Jiwoong asks. “It is the way of our people. We share what we have.” </p>
<p>Sehun bites his lip, touched by the words. He nods, and he takes the four ripest, sweetest berries that call to him. Then, he grabs four more just in case. He figures it is better to be prepared than sorry. </p>
<p>“You only need eight?” Jiwoong asks. “Are you certain?” </p>
<p>“I do not intend to craft the potion more than once,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“Ah, crafting,” Jiwoong says. “I was never very good at crafting.” </p>
<p>“A-Ah, me neither,” Sehun smiles. </p>
<p>Jiwoong shrugs happily. “I suppose we were meant to meet then.” </p>
<p>“I suppose we were,” Sehun smiles before he bows. “I should be getting back to the beach.” </p>
<p>“You can stay here for the evening if you like,” Jiwoong says. “My mother would scold me fiercely if she knew that I did not offer you to stay.” </p>
<p>“I am to harvest the lilifer,” Sehun says. “And I believe I—”</p>
<p>“Saw it along the wall, did you?” Jiwoong says. “Yes, the lilifer is quite common around these parts. Along the edge of the beach as well.” He tilts his head to the side. “Do you need any more assistance?” </p>
<p>“I think I have already overstepped my bounds,” Sehun says, and he bows again. “Thank you for your help.” </p>
<p>“If you need anything else,” Jiwoong says with a smile, “you know where to find us.” </p>
<p>“T-Tell your people that I am grateful,” Sehun says, “and when I’ve succeeded in my task, I promise I will repay your kindness!” </p>
<p>Jiwoong waves him away, and Sehun hurries back through the door to the beach. He all but runs back to shore in the dying light, his little basket of berries in his hands. He scours the shore to the left and right of Chanyeol’s cottage, and then, suddenly where he hadn’t seen the plant before, he sees it. Glimmering in the light of the moon. </p>
<p>The burst of yellow seems to glow, glow like the moon herself. Joy fills him up. </p>
<p>Already, he smiles, he has found three of his precious ingredients. He will be almost entirely finished with this task before the sun sets on the very first day. </p>
<p>His hand hesitates by the herb, fingers brushing along the flowers. He looks to the sky. Night has fallen now, and he cracks the spine to the familiar page only to find himself staring at the first line of the recipe: <em>ensure you have harvested the lilifer herb under the full moon’s gaze.</em></p>
<p>Sehun looks again to the sky as he folds the book closed. There is a certain amount of patience he will need in this task, he realizes. Waiting for the full moon. It could be tonight, but it could be next week… and then—the flower of heat. Junmyeon help him if he needs to wait ten whole years just for a single bloom. </p>
<p>It would feel like the blink of an eye to Chanyeol, but to Sehun… to Sehun, it would feel like so much time lost. So many opportunities. So many nights under Junmyeon’s hand. </p>
<p>He shakes the thought away. There is nothing to do but sit and wait. </p>
<p>He positions himself on the beach, the waves crashing in as he watches. The dusk falls away into night, deep and blue, and Sehun watches as the moon waxes high overhead. It will be soon, he thinks to himself. The full moon will soon rise. </p>
<p>What fortune. What luck.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>The people of the village count their days by the moon. Exactly one sennight until the full moon they tell him. In exchange for water from their well and a bottle of their wine, he works alongside them as he waits for the lilifer to be ripened by moonlight.</p><p>Jiwoong and the rest of them welcome him with open arms. This, he thinks, would be a very pleasant place to live. </p>
<p>Sehun spends most days busying himself in the village, listening to the songs and stories of the people who live there. He offers help where he can, taking care of the children as he brings them to the schoolhouse or to the dining halls. The people share their advice. Jiwoong even shares his clothes. Everyone takes their meals together, and Sehun enjoys that quite a bit. It reminds him of home. Reminds him of Junmyeon. There is little more intimate than sharing food together. </p>
<p>Sehun aids Jiwoong most days, tailing behind him. They are working on a new bathhouse, and Sehun helps to lay the frame in soft wood. Sehun has no problem with the work, especially not because he is not expected to know what to do. He is instructed, and he follows the instructions well. In a way, it reminds him of a god’s task. </p>
<p>There will be a freedom at the end of it all. Freedom with Junmyeon. He will be allowed to do whatever he pleases for as long as it suits him. </p>
<p>When they aren’t busy with something, the two of them talk to pass the time. Sometimes Jiwoong follows him back to the shore and they indulge in some of Chanyeol’s rum as they watch the moon draw to full. They pick the lilifer that very night, the crashing of the ocean as a song behind them. Sehun places the herb on the table, and Jiwoong studies Sehun as they sit on the shore. </p>
<p>“What’s the last thing you need anyway?” Jiwoong asks. “Perhaps I could help you acquire it as you wait for the new moon.” </p>
<p>“It is the flower of heat,” Sehun says. “Do you know of it?” </p>
<p>“The flower of heat?” Jiwoong laughs. “Oh, that god of ours must have it out for you.” </p>
<p>“W-Why do you say that?” </p>
<p>“Well, surely you know of its rarity,” Jiwoong says, raising a brow. Sehun nods. “Not only this, but it is a protected flower.” </p>
<p>“Protected by whom?” </p>
<p>“By whom?” Jiwoong laughs. “By the fire mountain itself. By <em>us</em>.”</p>
<p>“The village?” </p>
<p>Jiwoong nods knowingly, lifting the beam into place. “It is under our protection, of course. Nothing so valuable would ever go unprotected. Besides, it is very nearly coming to the tenth year. It will be plucked within the sennight.” </p>
<p>“A-And what will be done with it?” </p>
<p>Jiwoong stares at Sehun. “Why, you will take it. Don’t you know that it’s necessary?” </p>
<p>“W—How did you know?” </p>
<p>“The village knows the task,” Jiwoong smiles, big and bright. “We know our god well. Fire’s kiss, of course… the potion that can only ever be brewed each decade. He looks forward to it, I think.” </p>
<p>Sehun swallows. “Still, I could not ask you all to sacrifice such wealth.” </p>
<p>“Even one has given us enough riches to tide us over four times over,” Jiwoong says. “Besides, it will save us the worry. We will know that it has been taken and by whom.” </p>
<p>“It makes me wonder,” Sehun starts. </p>
<p>“Wonder what?” </p>
<p>“Why are you so eager to give the precious thing away?” Sehun whispers. “Is it dangerous?” </p>
<p>Jiwoong smiles. “Of course it is. All the best things are.” </p>
<p>Sehun looks down. He had thought he had gotten off easily, just this once. Leave it to Chanyeol to make something look deceptively simple. </p>
<p>“Tell me of it,” Sehun says. “Please.” </p>
<p>“Sure, sure,” Jiwoong says, taking one last swig of the alcohol . “Let’s finish up here, and we can sit for some supper.”<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>They share bread, meat, and tea in the dining hall, and the village mills about around them. It is the busiest time of the day, this and the break of day. Sehun has learned much about this place, about the people. Perhaps, when he has nothing but time, he will return. Repay his debts.</p><p>“You’re quiet,” Jiwoong says. “Still thinking about the flower?” </p>
<p>“I must apologize if I’ve been poor company to you,” Sehun says softly, lifting his cup to his mouth as he blows over the hot tea to cool it. </p>
<p>“I cannot imagine what you must be feeling,” Jiwoong says. He shrugs his shoulders. “There is a lot to do, I imagine. A lot to feel.” </p>
<p>“There is,” Sehun says, but he bows his head. “This is no excuse.” </p>
<p>Jiwoong laughs. “Do you ever take a rest from being so serious?” </p>
<p>“I fear not,” Sehun smiles. </p>
<p>“Ah, I think I would be the same,” Jiwoong says. “Especially if I had a god to return to.” </p>
<p>Sehun smiles to himself, biting at his lip as he remembers Junmyeon’s touch. The way he goes pliant under Sehun’s hand. </p>
<p>“Have you walked past the village?” Jiwoong wonders. “Ever journeyed further out?” </p>
<p>“Never,” Sehun admits. “I thought this island was small.” </p>
<p>“It might seem that way from your beach,” Jiwoong laughs. “But beyond the village, there is much to see of this place. Much of it is untamed. Wild.” </p>
<p>“I had not thought to go,” Sehun says. “I have never gone beyond the walls.”  </p>
<p>“Then you have not seen the great mountain,” Jiwoong nods. “This fire mountain… she is like none other, I think. So strong. So impossibly strong. She can bathe the island with her breath in the span of minutes.” </p>
<p>“A-And what happens then?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“The island is destroyed,” Jiwoong says, “and we are left to rebuild.” </p>
<p>“When was the last time she destroyed it all?” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“When we were given the wall,” Jiwoong says with a smile. “My parents parents’ had watched as our village was destroyed, and Chanyeol helped us. Gave us the flower as an offering of peace.” Jiwoong smiles to himself, hidden. Secret. “It is said that he felt responsible for the destruction. No one had died, of course. Our people are excellent swimmers and we had boats enough to keep us all afloat until the ground was safe enough to walk upon, but all those precious things, washed away in liquid flame. He gave us the wall, gave us the knowledge on how to pluck the flower, and then… came back whenever he felt sick with grief.” Jiwoong shrugs his shoulders. “At least that’s how the stories go.” </p>
<p>“There is so much to know of this world, and I know so little,” Sehun whispers. “Only what I have seen.” </p>
<p>“I’m sure you have seen a great deal now,” Jiwoong says. “More than me.” </p>
<p>“But you have laid eyes upon the fire mountain!” </p>
<p>“Do you mean to tell me a lump of rock is more impressive than the Fractia herself?” Jiwoong asks, narrowing his eyes. </p>
<p>“I suppose I just have an innate natural ability for wonderment,” Sehun sniffs.  </p>
<p>Jiwoong looks around, studies the people at the table at his left. “Give me a moment, will you?” </p>
<p>“All right,” Sehun says, and he sips at his tea as Jiwoong sits down at the next table over, waving his hands animatedly and excitedly. </p>
<p>He has no idea what’s going on, not until Jiwoong returns with a smile. </p>
<p>“Good news, friend,” Jiwoong says. “You wanted to see the fire mountain up close, did you not?” </p>
<p>“I did,” Sehun says, narrowing his brow. </p>
<p>“Then I’m happy to report that we will be taking the journey in the morning,” Jiwoong says. “We have been tasked with the retrieval of the blooming heat, and it shines, ready to be plucked.” </p>
<p>“R-Really?” Sehun asks. “Is it truly?” </p>
<p>“The guards have reported as such. It will be a gorgeous day, I think. Good to see the mountain.” </p>
<p>“H-How long will it take to reach her edge?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“We will meet her at nightfall,” Jiwoong says, wiggling his eyes. “Romantic, isn’t it?” </p>
<p>Sehun shoves him away with a laugh, and they finish their meals happily. Jiwoong takes him back to his home, and Sehun sleeps on the floor next to Jinwoong, though Jiwoong tries to get him to take the bed. </p>
<p>Sehun lies awake waiting for the morning to come, tracing over  the jagged lines of the fire mountain in his head. Over and over again.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>Jiwoong wakes him before dawn has even broken, and Sehun feels like maybe he didn’t even sleep at all.</p><p>“I thought you were good at work,” Jiwoong says, pouring Sehun tea. “You’ve lulled me into a false sense of security.” </p>
<p>“I’m good at work,” Sehun says, “once the sun has risen.” </p>
<p>“Do fish only bite in the light?” </p>
<p>“Shut up,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“You slept well enough,” Jiwoong says. “You kept me up with your snoring.” </p>
<p>Sehun squints at him, and Jiwoong laughs. </p>
<p>“Eat, eat,” Jiwoong says. “I don’t think we’ll have time to stop for a meal if we’d like to get there and back before the day is done.” </p>
<p>Sehun is woken up quite quickly with this news, and they drink and eat, Jiwoong gathering his bag and slinging it over his shoulder when they’re done. </p>
<p>“I’ve packed a few things,” Jiwoong says. “Waterskin. Fruits we can eat as we walk.” </p>
<p>“And if I need to piss?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“Aim it away from me, and if you’re walking into the wind, turn around and walk backwards,” Jiwoong says with a grin. “Let’s go.” </p>
<p>That is how Sehun finds himself journeying out of the village in the hours straying from midnight, torch in hand as the stars guide them, walking through the island’s flora as they search for the fire mountain. </p>
<p>“You won’t need to search,” Jiwoong smiles. “It will be all you can see.” </p>
<p>“How large could it be if I can’t yet see it?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“If you were tall enough to see over the trees, you could see it by now,” Jiwoong says, and he turns back with a grin. “Want me to lift you onto my shoulders, or do you believe me?” </p>
<p>“I believe you, I believe you,” Sehun grumbles, and he scuffs his boot against the ground.</p>
<p>The day breaks around them as they walk, the stone and greenery crunching underfoot. Sehun’s feet begin to ache around the time that the sun is high and hot overhead, but he keeps his mouth closed as they snack on ripe orange fruits from the village. He wipes the juice away from his chin, and they keep on moving. </p>
<p>When he finally gets eyes upon the mountain, it is like nothing he’s ever seen before. Vast, sprawling, and magnificent, the fire mountain shatters the sky, breaks up the blue with grey and green. </p>
<p>“See,” Jiwoong says, gesturing to the coloring. “It’s been so long since a sound from the mountain, the elders think she’s gone cold inside.” </p>
<p>“What do you think?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“I think if she was dead and gone, the flower of heat wouldn’t bloom,” Jiwoong says. “I think the mountain is just waiting.” </p>
<p><em>Waiting for what,</em> Sehun wonders. <em>Or better yet, for whom?</em> </p>
<p>Just as Jiwoong said it would, it takes the better part of the day to trek across the island to reach the base. The sun rises and falls over them as they walk, walk, walk, and Sehun breathes out as they finally reach the last stretch, naught but a mile before them. </p>
<p>"Let's hurry and get back," Jiwoong says. "We don't want to be walking through the night with something so valuable." </p>
<p>Sehun lets the adrenaline carry him forward as they approach the men tasked with guarding the precious flower, and oh, what a flower it is. Beautiful and pure and emanating heat, Sehun leans down to study it as Jiwoong introduces himself to them. </p>
<p>"I am Jieun's son. The elders have agreed. He will take the bloom." </p>
<p>"As you say," the guard answers with a nod. "She told us evening past." </p>
<p>"Then you are relieved of your service," Jiwoong says. "We will take the flower and return with you." </p>
<p>The guard nods to his counterpart, and they lower their weapons, trekking off back where Sehun and Jiwoong came. </p>
<p>"Go on," Jiwoong says. "If it's too hot to touch—" </p>
<p>"I can take it," Sehun says. "Only waiting for permission." </p>
<p>"Granted," Jiwoong grins.    </p>
<p>The flower comes easily, as easy as picking a blade of grass, but as soon as he's plucked it from the earth, Sehun realizes something is wrong. </p>
<p>The world rumbles beneath him, beneath them both. He turns to Jiwoong, stunned. He waits for a moment, waits for the world to calm, but the calm never comes. In fact, the rumbling continues, deepens, widens like a maw. Suddenly, the flower heats, heats like an open flame, and Sehun drops it in fear. It glows bright white in the night, and Sehun stares at the palm of his hand. Burnt. Scalded. </p>
<p>"Sehun. <em>Sehun.</em>" </p>
<p>"I'm getting it," Sehun says, and he strips himself of the shirt he borrowed from Jiwoong, holding the flower in the material. "Okay. Okay. We're fine." </p>
<p>"We're not," Jiwoong says breathlessly, and Sehun looks up. "Gods, help us now." </p>
<p>The fire mountain screams with life, a flare of bright orange-red bursting into the night sky. It tumbles down the mountainside, glowing and fiery and scarlet with heat. It eats the green away, and Sehun's heart leaps into his mouth. </p>
<p>"Run," Sehun whispers.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>yeah its been a while, lets just ignore that fact </p>
<p>hope u enjoy!!!!!! thanks for reading!!!!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. the crafting of fire's kiss, part three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>please note the new tags added for this chapter—gets a lil messy there at the end, so if either of those are not your thing, feel free not to read the ....uh...., reunion ?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>To say that they are quick on their feet, that they run with all haste, that they ran as though their lives depended on it… well, Sehun supposes that would be a given. </p>
<p>They do not have time to think let alone speak as they run, no time to even look back over their shoulders. They sprint through the island’s forest, and Sehun keeps a tight hold on the flower wrapped in his shirtcloth, wishing that it had not been quite so hot to the touch. Now, he is unprotected as the fire mountain breathes for the first time in decades, no, in centuries. </p>
<p>Shoving low-hanging leaves and high-reaching brush out of their way, the night is filled with the frantic sounds of dying men. It reminds him of days past, days long gone, the way his lungs filled with the sparkling thrill, a thick coat of it along his skin. It will do no good to panic. He must only run. Carry himself on these weary feet, survive the heat of the night, and find his way back home again. </p>
<p>He tries to figure how long it will take for them to get back to the wall, to the door, to the safety of the village, but he squints through smoke. It took them all day to get to the mountain. How on earth could they keep moving fast enough to escape? </p>
<p>The heat surrounds them after only a little while, the night dark and fierce over them. Sehun struggles to find air, but he keeps himself motivated thinking of the water from the village, the wine, the kiss from Junmyeon’s lips after he's through with it all. He runs, he runs, he runs. There is nothing else to do but run. </p>
<p>He looks back once they’ve reached a small clearing. And god, the tongues of the fire stretch towards them slowly but surely. </p>
<p>“Move,” the guard hollers. “<em>Move.</em> Don’t look back. If you look back, you are lost.” </p>
<p>He cannot say how long it takes them, but it feels like a forever, a small forever. He reminds himself that it will be worth it in the end, and he clutches the flower closer to him, his skin burning with the ash in the air. </p>
<p>The night begins to break, the early morning hours feeling incredibly long as they jog forward tirelessly to outrun the spread of fire. Sehun wants to break, feels his body breaking, but he swallows thickly, sucking down as much air as he can manage, no matter how much smoke clouds him. He will make it. He must. </p>
<p>When they finally see the wall, Sehun’s heart leaps in his chest. Reinvigorated, he sprints towards it, towards the red stone, the promise of safety. </p>
<p>It all changes. It all falls away. </p>
<p>The sound behind him is miserable, haunting. </p>
<p>Jiwoong slips, trips, Sehun does not know which. It matters not. All he hears is Jiwoong’s terrified scream, the sound of his body colliding with the ground. Sehun stops dead in his tracks, nearly falling as he skids to a stop. He turns, whipping around so hard that his neck hurts to see… to see Jiwoong. His friend Jiwoong, the one who had been there for him, helped him in his hour of need. Jiwoong’s wide and scared eyes. His face normally so full of red life, gaunt and grey with fear. His hand streaked with blue veins... reaching out for Sehun’s help. </p>
<p>“P-Please,” he yells. “Please!” </p>
<p>There is no thought, no hesitation, no use of his head. He doesn’t weigh the consequences of his actions, his mind doesn’t flash to Junmyeon even once. He could die, he thinks as he runs back. He could die, and that would be okay. It would be worth it to save Jiwoong. </p>
<p>Sehun moves like the wind or the water or something in between, a mist over the hot earth. He drags Jiwoong to his feet, and without another word, he pulls Jiwoong forward.  </p>
<p>He limps along as Sehun does his best to carry a majority of Jiwoong’s weight. Sehun grunts with effort as he lifts as much of the man as he possibly can, and when he looks down, Jiwoong’s right foot dangles there, twisted. </p>
<p>“Sehun,” Jiwoong whispers, “I’m sorry.” </p>
<p>Sehun has no time to bat the apology away, no time to think. He sees the wall, they are so close now, but the back of his neck feels hot, so hot. </p>
<p>The guards have already reached the door, and they open it with haste, bidding Sehun and Jiwoong forward. Sehun hurries, the adrenaline bleeding through him, and he lifts Jiwoong off the ground by his waist. Jiwoong gasps, holding Sehun firmly around the neck as Sehun carries him forward, side-saddled, the warmth of the approaching fires, tickling along his spine. </p>
<p>“Hurry,” the guards scream. “Hurry, we must shut the gates.” </p>
<p>Sehun closes his eyes and yells, a guttural sound pulled from his throat as every fiber of his body begs him to stop. He moves, moves as quickly as he can, and he opens his eyes only once he feels the cold of the village. </p>
<p>He’s made it. </p>
<p>Gingerly, he moves Jiwoong into the arms of one of the villagers, stepping through only after his friend is through. The door shuts with a thousand ticking sounds behind him, and the spare guard roughly pulls him away as the lava collides with the wall. It splashes, screams into the air, and a few small droplets go high enough to leap over the impenetrable wall. </p>
<p>It would have hit him. It would have burned him through. </p>
<p>“T-Thank you,” Sehun says, struggling for air. </p>
<p>“Bring them to the water. Bring them to the beds,” someone cries. "Hurry now. Help them." </p>
<p>Sehun holds the flower of heat close to his chest, protecting it with his life as the world goes black around him, the sound of the fire mountain’s wrath thick in the middle of the morning’s night.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>He wakes when the sun bursts through the window. He opens his eyes. Was it all a dream?</p><p>“Good morning,” Jiwoong says, and Sehun turns. “You were out for quite a while.” </p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” Sehun whispers, and he reaches to take Jiwoong’s hand in his. “I’m so sorry.” </p>
<p>“Whatever for?” Jiwoong asks. “You saved me.” </p>
<p>“You should never have come in the first place,” Sehun says. “It was my task. You’ve been helping too much.” </p>
<p>“As if I would let you take on such a trial without my aid,” Jiwoong says. “We are friends, are we not?” </p>
<p>“W-We are,” Sehun whispers, touched. </p>
<p>“Besides, it is but a sprain,” Jiwoong says, hissing as he hoists himself backwards in his bed to sit up along the headboard. “I’m sure that the healers will be able to make quick work of it.” </p>
<p>“Truly?” </p>
<p>“Truly,” Jiwoong says. “Now as soon as you’re able, get to the edge of the sea.” He looks out the window. “It’s been hours, I think. Plenty of time for the crust to cool enough to walk on.” He grins. “It is time. The hour will be upon you this night.”<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>The new moon rises in the sky as Sehun heads back to the sea. His feet are blistered, but he walks forward in his boots, grateful that Jiwoong was right yet again.</p><p>He brings the pot from the untouched shack to the black glass seaside, ingredients laid out on a small wooden stool in the precise order that he needs them. He builds the fire along the cold black stone, and he opens the book at his side, following the instructions to the letter. </p>
<p>Three vials of seawater, three vials of well water, and a vial of red wine are cast into the pot. Using the wooden ladle, he stirs from right to left for eight turns, just as the book says. He crushes the berries in his hand, and they bleed bright red blood. He casts them forward too, immediately stirring in the opposite direction for another eight turns. </p>
<p>He waits for an hour for the potion to boil from red to yellow, and a spear of joy runs through him. He hurriedly grinds the stone into dust, adding the pinches and watching with awe as the liquid goes paler and paler in the moonlight. </p>
<p>Hurriedly, he begins to stir the cross. After he’s done so, he looks back to the book even though he knows what comes next. </p>
<p><em>Wait until the morning comes</em>, he reads. </p>
<p>Resigned, he sits on the black glass shore, watching the horizon for the first burst of sun. </p>
<p>It comes, but he is yawning and struggling to stay awake by the end of it. Still, as soon as the first beam of light hits him, he is filled with electric purpose. He stands tall and strong, the flower of heat in his injured hand as he plucks it from its stem. It aches with fire as he takes each petal and throws it into the brew, counting one by one. </p>
<p>Each striated petal swims along the surface for a moment until it seemingly dragged to the bottom of the thin potion. There is a burst of white smoke, and Sehun coughs, clearing it away. </p>
<p>Hastily, he parts the clouds of smoke to see what’s come of his work. </p>
<p>Light blue and billowing like the hottest flame.  </p>
<p>He has done it.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>Sehun does as he was instructed, though he is not sure it is entirely safe to set a fire upon lands that have only just recovered from the wrath of the greatest fire mountain in the world.</p><p>He waits inside the little shack, miraculously unburnt by the liquid fires. It must be Chanyeol’s doing. Some kind of protection. He’s good at things such as this. </p>
<p>As he waits, he does his level best to mend his injured hand. He’s never been adept with healing either, so he simply wraps them in a tear of cloth, keeps it washed, and hopes that Junmyeon won’t take notice. </p>
<p>The world turns around him as he twirls the little bottle in his hands, and it only takes a couple more minutes for Chanyeol to burst through the door with a smile on his face. He looks as though he’s only just woken up, hair a riotous mess, barely clothed, his feet bare. </p>
<p>“You’ve done it,” Chanyeol whispers. “Thank you.” </p>
<p>“At what cost?” Sehun says. “The island has been ruined. The people… they cannot journey far outside their walls.” </p>
<p>“Even if that were true,” Chanyeol says, stepping forward and pulling Sehun up and into his arms, “they’ve got plenty inside their little village.” </p>
<p>He lets himself be embraced for a moment, but not a moment longer. </p>
<p>“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sehun says, and he pushes himself back from Chanyeol. </p>
<p>“Oh, I can handle what's left of the fires,” Chanyeol says with a wry grin. “Would you like to watch?” </p>
<p>Sehun nods, his curiosity growing as Chanyeol walks back outside, his bare feet slapping against the barely crusted black rock. Sehun does not speak, only watches as Chanyeol waves his hand, cooling the red to black, seemingly taking all the heat for his own. </p>
<p>“It will take time, of course,” Chanyeol says, “but that is how it must be. I will take care of the rest over time." He looks back to Sehun. "Now, the potion." </p>
<p>Sehun slides it into his hands, and Chanyeol clutches it to his chest. </p>
<p>"What's it for, anyway?" </p>
<p>"Fire's kiss?" Chanyeol asks, tilting his head to the side with a devilish smile. "For sex, of course." </p>
<p>“W-What?” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“What did you think it was for?” Chanyeol teases. “Fire’s kiss! The most powerful aphrodisiac in the world.” </p>
<p>“You must be joking,” Sehun says. “Aphrodisiacs aren’t real.” </p>
<p>“I suppose they aren’t,” Chanyeol shrugs. “But potions of the flesh certainly are. And you’ve crafted me the most difficult one.” He claps his hands together, rubbing them excitedly as he stares down at the small vial. “I can’t wait to use it.” </p>
<p>“S-So that’s all this has been about?” Sehun asks. “Your wanton lust?” </p>
<p>“Don’t call it <em>wanton</em>.” </p>
<p>“It is! It is wanton!” </p>
<p>“I’ve waited ten years for this,” Chanyeol says. “I won’t let the likes of you take my joy away.” </p>
<p>“So you just… you’ll just go and take this and then—”</p>
<p>“Fuck my way around the world,” Chanyeol says. “Is that so terrible?” Sehun finds himself rolling his eyes at the suggestion. “Oh come now, not all of us have everlasting love. Not all of us have found the broken piece of us.” He waggles his finger at Sehun. “Believe it or not, little river, your beloved used to take part in such things. So quick to judge, this little river of ours. Our little fisherboy. I don’t know why he finds you pleasant. I don't. Not at all.” </p>
<p>“And yet I’ve completed my task,” Sehun says boredly. </p>
<p>“What are you so cross about?” Chanyeol says. </p>
<p>“Look around you. What has become of this place?” </p>
<p>“Oh, nature will heal,” Chanyeol says, waving his hand. “And the island knows that no matter what, I will take care of them.” He smiles at Sehun. “Why do you think they gave you the rarest flower in the world so easily? Because they know that I will pay them back time and time again.” He looks up and down the shore. It is rocked with black. “I was not born here, but oft I feel that this is my home. The home I have chosen for myself.” </p>
<p>Sehun feels himself soften at the words, a smile creeping onto his face as they stare out over the ocean’s tide. </p>
<p>“Well, I suppose you’ll want to get back to him as soon as possible,” Chanyeol says. “Right?” </p>
<p>“Perhaps I could stay for a moment or two,” Sehun says. “For a drink.” </p>
<p>“In the middle of the morning?” Chanyeol teases with a lovely grin. “I fear I am a bad influence upon you.” </p>
<p>“I’ve heard this many times,” Sehun says. “No one thinks me capable of being bad on my own.” </p>
<p>They toast with a bottle of Chanyeol’s rum, and it burns down Sehun’s throat. This is the feeling of victory, he thinks. He has finally mastered it. They sip again from the bottle, and when Chanyeol takes Sehun’s hand in his, Sehun shuts his eyes and hears the sounds of home. The waving water. The horns of glory.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>When he feels his feet land on the sand, he breathes out, a feeling of relief washing over him. It is like nothing else. He opens his eyes to see the ocean in front of him, and he knows that surely Junmyeon will be arriving any moment to come take him back to the castle.</p><p>“Take care, won’t you?” Chanyeol says. “The trials are almost over now. Odds seem to be skewing in your favor.” </p>
<p>Sehun gives him a sideways glance. “Were they not always in my favor?” </p>
<p>Chanyeol belly laughs. “Of course not. But now… well, it is seeming more and more obvious that this has been part of the plan all along.” He pats Sehun on the shoulder. “Fate is a funny thing. Willful and cruel, perhaps, but always true.” </p>
<p>Sehun does not know that he would agree, but as Junmyeon rises from the water, the sea falling off his shoulders in elegant waves as if he is shrugging off a cape, Sehun thinks there must be something above them all, something grander and lovelier. </p>
<p>“My lover,” Junmyeon says, the words carrying over the water to Sehun’s ears. They sound so sweet. </p>
<p>“I have returned,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“And I have not forgiven you entirely for that little stunt from before,” Chanyeol says, fiddling with the flame in the palm of his hand. “It hurts you know, whenever one of my flames goes out.” </p>
<p>“I’m sure you’ll find a way to make yourself feel better,” Junmyeon says, cocking a brow at him. “Fire’s kiss? Truly? Your frivolities know no bounds.” </p>
<p>“That’s what they say about me. They used to say it about you too, remember?” Chanyeol smiles before turning to Sehun again. “Thank you again for your assistance, little river. Enjoy your romantic reunion.” </p>
<p>“Enjoy your orgy,” Sehun says, and Junmyeon spits out a laugh as he takes Sehun by the hand, pulling him into the ocean. </p>
<p>The familiar feeling of drinking the sea reminds him that this is real, grounds him in this body and in this world. He is home, he is safe, he is sound. Junmyeon holds him by the hand, and Sehun flexes his other hand. They drop down deep into the sea, and the water goes from warm to cold. </p>
<p>Before too much longer, the castle stands tall and proud before them, and Sehun breathes out air, breathes in the water, and feels completely at ease. </p>
<p>“Come now,” Junmyeon whispers, and he pulls him through the gates, bringing him into the castle proper. “You must tell me everything. You must confide in me, my love. Tell me of your trial. Tell me of your glory.” </p>
<p>“There is little to tell,” Sehun lies because at the moment, all he can think about is getting Junmyeon back to his quarters and into bed. </p>
<p>“Nonsense. You are playing coy.” </p>
<p>“My lord,” Sehun says, and as they walk through the halls, Junmyeon pulling him forward to the great hall by the hand, Sehun forces them to a stop. “W-Would it please you to hear of such things in a more private place?” </p>
<p>“There is a feast waiting for you,” Junmyeon says, and he looks deeply into Sehun’s eyes. “Wine. Salt. Bread.”</p>
<p>“The sweetness, the bitterness, and the fullness of time,” Sehun says, and he strokes his hand along Junmyeon’s cheek. “Time seems so full when I am with you.” </p>
<p>“So that’s what this is about?” Junmyeon says, and he looks kittenish as he turns into the affection. He presses a soft kiss to the palm of Sehun’s hand as Sehun hides the spare behind his back. “You needed only say. Give me a moment. Let me get them started.” </p>
<p>He draws away from the touch as he pulls open the large doors with a wave of his hand. His voice booms as the feast commences, songs plucking from the harps, Junmyeon returns with a satisfied sigh, pulling Sehun off with a laugh. </p>
<p>“There now,” he says. “All alone. I wonder what we’ll do to pass the time.” </p>
<p>Sehun smiles to himself as they run through the castle, eager like children. The door to Junmyeon’s chambers shuts behind them, and Sehun presses Junmyeon against the door with a <em>thump</em>. </p>
<p>He kisses him quickly, deliriously, the heat rising from their bodies. Absently, too caught in the moment, he finds himself stroking both hands along the column of Junmyeon’s throat, wincing as the sting seeps through him. </p>
<p>Junmyeon immediately takes note, grabbing for Sehun’s injured hand. It looks terrible, even with his own hamfisted healing, and Sehun tries to take it away. </p>
<p>“What is this?” Junmyeon asks, eyes wide and angry as he looks down at the blisters. “Did he do this to you?” </p>
<p>“N-No, of course not,” Sehun says. “It was the flower of heat.” Sehun smiles to himself. “I was foolish. Grabbed it with a bare hand, and now I shall bear the scar.” </p>
<p>"Don't lie to cover for him. If he injured you, I will have his head," Junmyeon says, and his voice trembles with emotion. "I will kill him, I swear it to you." </p>
<p>"I'm not lying," Sehun laughs, and he caps Junmyeon's shoulders with the palms of his hands. "It was the flower of heat. It was. And if you look into my eyes, you will see I am telling you the truth of it." </p>
<p>Junmyeon narrows his eyes as he stares into Sehun's, quickly searching the rest of his face for some hint of falsehood. <em>You won't find any</em>, he thinks. </p>
<p>"Fine," Junmyeon spits. "But I don't trust him around you. He is too good at manipulating." </p>
<p>"I think I can handle myself well enough," Sehun says. </p>
<p>"Oh, can you?" Junmyeon sneers, and he takes Sehun's injured hand roughly from his shoulder, holding it between them as he lightly presses on one of the blisters. "Is this caring for yourself? I shudder to think of how you might care for me." </p>
<p>"You're being fussy now," Sehun says. </p>
<p>"Don't tell me how I'm being." </p>
<p>Sehun blinks at him slowly, and he takes him from against the door, whisks him over towards the bed. He gently presses Junmyeon down onto it, straddling him and stripping himself of his plain cotton shirt. </p>
<p>“Won’t you focus on me?” Sehun asks. “Won’t you treat me kindly, my love?” </p>
<p>Junmyeon sighs, and Sehun smiles. The battle has been won. </p>
<p>He kisses Junmyeon for all the time they lost, and when his breathing comes harder, heavier, Junmyeon takes the opportunity to roll Sehun onto his back, stripping him of his pants. </p>
<p>“I must confess,” Junmyeon whispers, the red of his lips spreading around his mouth as he kisses frantically over Sehun’s chest, “I have felt kinder in these months. More generous of spirit. Less prone to anger. You have given me new life. New purpose. A heart full of glowing love.” </p>
<p>“A-And in that, we are a pair,” Sehun whispers. “You have changed me, my love. You have given me the world.” </p>
<p>“Shut up,” Junmyeon says, and the words dance along Sehun’s skin, giving him goosebumps as he squeezes his eyes shut. “Shut up and listen well.” </p>
<p>“Command me to hold my breath, and I swear to you I will die with full lungs,” Sehun says, and Junmyeon moves, makes Sehun open his eyes as he holds himself up over Sehun like a cat poised to strike. </p>
<p>He pulls his robe from his body, and it falls away in a wave of silk. Sehun’s throat goes dry. </p>
<p>“I have not felt anger such as this, not since you called the council,” Junmyeon whispers. “I have not felt this surge of power since I saw you throwing your life away.” </p>
<p>“It has not been thrown away,” Sehun reminds him, “it has been drawn thin and long.” </p>
<p>“And yet it burns within me. It scalds my waters. It boils me.” </p>
<p>“Take it out on me,” Sehun whispers. “Take whatever you want from me. And make it hurt.” </p>
<p>“You do not know what it is that you ask for,” Junmyeon says, and he pulls at Sehun’s pants. “You’ve not known my wrath in many moons. You have forgotten what it’s like.” </p>
<p>“Would it be hard to remind me?” </p>
<p>“It would be the easiest thing in the world,” Junmyeon whispers. “I only fear it might scare you away. You have known the gentler, softer version of me.” </p>
<p>“I love each and every part of you,” Sehun says, “no one part better than the rest, for all of it together makes the man I love.” </p>
<p>“<em>Man</em>,” Junmyeon smiles, and he presses a kiss to Sehun’s left cheek before gently turning his face to bear the other side. “I have not been called a man in a very long time.” </p>
<p>“Here, in this bed, we are the same,” Sehun whispers, and he feels the slip of Junmyeon’s lips against his cheek. “Here, we are equal.” </p>
<p>“Are we? Does it feel equal when we do this?” </p>
<p>“Yes,” Sehun says, and he turns his face sharply so that their mouths align. “For our love for each other is even. Have you forgotten in our time apart?” </p>
<p>“Make it so that I can remember,” Junmyeon says. “Make it clear.” </p>
<p>Sehun takes Junmyeon in a furious kiss, one that bleeds out with featured edges. Sehun holds Junmyeon by the hips as Junmyeon raises himself up to straddle him, legs moving over Sehun’s body. He rises like the waves, hands on Sehun’s chest as he breaks their kiss. He reaches behind his body with a soft smirk, grabbing Sehun by the cock as he sits up on his knees. </p>
<p>“Have you dreamt of me?” Junmyeon wonders. “Dreamt of fucking me?” </p>
<p>“I return to serve you,” Sehun whispers. “However it is you wish to be served.” </p>
<p>“I’ve always liked that about you,” Junmyeon says, and he slips Sehun inside him, dripping wet warmth. “Obedient.” </p>
<p>Sehun bristles, a little spit of anger building inside him as he digs his nails into the flesh of Junmyeon’s waist. </p>
<p>“What is it, little one?” Junmyeon says, and he picks up his hips, lowers them back down like a tease. “Has it been so long that you are ready to come already?” </p>
<p>“You tempt me,” Sehun groans, and he tightens his grip on Junmyeon’s small waist as Junmyeon tightens around the length of his cock. “You’re goading me into it.” </p>
<p>“Into what? Is this not the way we make love? Tender and passionate?” </p>
<p>“Even cruelty seems kind when it comes from you,” Sehun says. “Though I cannot say that I don’t want to punish you in return.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon leans down to bite at Sehun’s ear lobe as he rides him, hard, perfect rolls of his hips, and Sehun moans brokenly at the sting of Junmyeon’s teeth. It is all so contradictory, brittle soft and diamond strong, saccharine sweet and acerbic acid. Sehun labors within the paradox, the irony and the absurdity. </p>
<p>He loses himself in the luscious feelings of love, the push and pull of desire, and oh, it is an endless maze. </p>
<p>“I have dreamt of you beneath me each day of your absence,” Junmyeon whispers. “I have dreamt of you as I touched myself, spending with your name upon my lips.” </p>
<p>“Junmyeon,” Sehun says, and the lust boils within him too, the bubbling pleasure rising to the surface over and over again. </p>
<p>“Do you remember when I first took you?” Junmyeon whispers. “There on the cold floor of the temple? Do you remember it, fisherboy?” </p>
<p>“I remember,” Sehun moans. “I remember.” </p>
<p>“Fuck me like that,” Junmyeon whispers. “Fuck me hard. Strike me and make me weep. My body belongs to you. It always has.” </p>
<p>Sehun has no choice but to put Junmyeon on his back, the spread of his legs alluring as he takes Junmyeon’s thighs in his hand, pushing them apart. He is transfixed, caught, trapped. He stares at where he enters Junmyeon, sliding in and out so easily but with such demand, Junmyeon gripping him so tightly that Sehun thinks he might have a better chance staying inside him forever if he would like to keep every part of him attached. </p>
<p>“Hard,” Junmyeon whispers. “Harder, <em>please</em>.” </p>
<p>He fucks Junmyeon hard just the way he wants it, just like that first time, eager to please and full of desire. But now, he realizes that this is part of him too. Once, he thought it was just about Junmyeon, just about getting the chance to serve. Now, he is reminded of the fact that it’s about him too. What he wants. And what he wants, what he’s always wanted, is the chance to have Junmyeon. To keep him. To fuck him mercilessly when the time comes. </p>
<p>He cannot stop the frantic motion of his hips, cannot stop himself from throwing his head back with a guttural sound of pleasure as Junmyeon whimpers and whines. He takes it, takes it so well. </p>
<p>His hands go to Junmyeon’s neck, streaking over his skin as he brushes against his collarbones, his breast bone, back to the side of his neck. It’s soft, soft like the belly of a fish, and Sehun presses his thumb against Junmyeon’s wind just to see his eyes flutter. </p>
<p>“More,” Junmyeon struggles out. “Take it all.” </p>
<p>Sehun bites his lip to stop from spending too soon, and he gets up onto his knees so that he can wrap both hands around Junmyeon’s pale white throat. </p>
<p>“Hard, fisherboy,” Junmyeon whispers. “Kill me with pleasure.” </p>
<p><em>What a wonderful way to die</em>, Sehun thinks. Wrapped up in love. </p>
<p>He tightens his hold upon Junmyeon’s neck as he fucks him, and Junmyeon’s mouth falls open with a strangled moan. Sehun is careful, watches Junmyeon and his eyes and as soon as the pupils begin to swallow the irises, he relents, letting Junmyeon catch his breath for a moment. It goes this way, breathless to gasping and back again, and Sehun fucks him all the same, fucks him like he’s taking his pleasure whether Junmyeon wants it or not. </p>
<p>“I’ll come,” Junmyeon whispers. “I’ll come if you fuck me like this.” </p>
<p>“Then come,” Sehun whispers, and he holds Junmyeon by the throat as he thrusts inside him, watching as Junmyeon’s eyes roll back, spending over his stomach as he writhes untouched, mouth open on a stuttered sound. </p>
<p>He grits his teeth as he holds on through it, weathers the storm, but <em>Gods</em>, it is like nothing else. </p>
<p>Sehun releases him once it’s all over, once the orgasm has wrung him dry and limp, and Junmyeon gasps for air as Sehun holds him by the hips, cock still buried within his body. </p>
<p>“You haven’t come,” Junmyeon whispers. </p>
<p>“Just lie there,” Sehun whispers back. “Let me take my fill of you.” </p>
<p>“Take it as you like,” Junmyeon says. “It is yours.” </p>
<p>Sehun slides back into his rhythm, slow as he works himself back up, full of fury. His hand burns with forgotten pain, and it drives him forward endlessly as he seeks the end. </p>
<p>“It feels so good to have you inside me,” Junmyeon says, lips red and bitten. “I could die happily like this.” </p>
<p>“Don’t,” Sehun whispers, “it is blasphemy.” </p>
<p>“What I want you to do to me,” Junmyeon says, hands wrapped around Sehun’s wrists, “it is, yes. It must be. Veil me with you. Spend over me. Let me take it on my skin. Inside me. All over me. Wouldn’t it be the most beautiful portrait? Me, covered with you?” </p>
<p>Sehun takes Junmyeon roughly, hard like never before, harder even than the first time they met. He cherishes Junmyeon enough to give him what he wants, treasures his company enough to know that Sehun would never hurt him. They can overcome anything. They can be who they truly are. </p>
<p>He has left some parts of him in the past, honed others, found pieces of himself along the way. He has been changed, yes, changed in the most glorious of ways. There is nothing timid about him anymore. There is nothing to be afraid of. </p>
<p>Junmyeon moans and writhes in the sheets as Sehun fucks him, and he is so tight around Sehun that Sehun has no choice but to fall over the edge, head first into the water. Shocked by the way it feels, the pleasure seeping through him, starbursts of light, he pulls out and Junmyeon makes the most gorgeous sound. </p>
<p>He covers Junmyeon with his spend, the desire pulled from his throat and from his gut as he arches his back, eyes squeezed shut. </p>
<p>"Oh," Junmyeon whispers, and when Sehun looks upon him once more, he is overwhelmed. </p>
<p>It is quite the picture, just as Junmyeon said it would be. He looks filthy, debauched in all the ways Sehun dreams about when he's away. It is so good to be home once more. </p>
<p>He strokes a hand through the mess, sweeping it along Junmyeon's abdomen. Junmyeon's lashes flutter shut, and he sighs. </p>
<p>"I feel incredibly like a painting now," Junmyeon says, and he opens his eyes to find Sehun staring at him. "Have I awoken something in you?" </p>
<p>"I fear that you have," Sehun whispers, and he traces his fingertips along the wet skin, dripping it down Junmyeon's breastbone. "Something evil." </p>
<p>"Ah, I've always liked you best that way," Junmyeon smiles, and he pulls Sehun down by the neck, their bodies meeting slickly. </p>
<p>They meet in another passionate kiss, one that stretches on and on. These are little doses of immortality, Sehun thinks, little trial runs. He takes to it well, and it feels natural as the world streaks away from them, the sun rising and falling, the moon shining in the night sky. </p>
<p>He cannot tell how long it takes for them to emerge from that bed, that blessed marital bed of theirs, but eventually, they slip into the pool and wash themselves clean. </p>
<p>Sehun never tires of it. Salt and sex fall away, and all that's left is the two of them melting into one.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>He wakes in the morning feeling as though some great weight has been lifted from his shoulders. He turns in the bed to see Junmyeon at his side, staring at him, an elbow propping him up.</p><p>"Morning," Junmyeon whispers. "Did you sleep well, lover?" </p>
<p>"I did, my love," Sehun whispers. "I always sleep better at your side." </p>
<p>"And you always return to me with such sweet words." </p>
<p>"It's easy," Sehun says. "I miss you dearly whenever I'm gone." </p>
<p>"At least we are in agreement." Junmyeon flops backwards, scooting over a bit inelegantly so that he can force Sehun into holding him. "Don't go again." </p>
<p>"It will only be a few more times," Sehun says. </p>
<p>"This time you returned with <em>this</em>," Junmyeon says, and he lifts Sehun's hand up so that they can both look at the burn. "It will get infected, you know." </p>
<p>"Help me, then," Sehun says softly, and he watches as Junmyeon brushes his fingers over it. "Help me, my love." </p>
<p>"As you wish." </p>
<p>Junmyeon ghosts his fingers over the flesh casually, and through no real effort, he is able to leech the red, blistering flesh away. Sehun gasps with forgotten pain as his skin is reborn, fresh and new, unmarred and virgin. </p>
<p>He turns his hand from side to side in the mid-morning light. </p>
<p>"Thank you," Sehun whispers. "And how shall I repay you, my lord? Lover of mine?" </p>
<p>"Stay with me always," Junmyeon says. "Once this is all said and done, never make me worry over you again." </p>
<p>"I think I can manage that," Sehun says. "Believe it or not, I have never been one for adventure. Not until I met you." </p>
<p>"And you thought that little life was all you needed." </p>
<p>"Until I met you," Sehun says. </p>
<p>"Until you met me," Junmyeon says. "And I made you see the light. There is no life for you besides the one at my side." </p>
<p>Sehun looks at him, sees the light, yes, and he wants to keep for himself. He is chasing something with an end in sight, and he has come so far, become someone new. </p>
<p>There is little left to be done. Only a few stones to turn now. He sighs out, staring at the coral that crawls along the ceiling. The only thing sweeter than home is victory.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hi there! i hope you like the end of this trial. only a few left to go! isn't that nice </p>
<p>i've hit 100k on this story which seems a little bonkers. i never really intended for it to go past the first chapter, and now here we are, one hundred thousand words of sex and pontificating on mortality later! thanks for following along. it's been challenging but also very fun for me, so i hope its been the same for u (whats more challenging than hoe junmyeon settling down, i ask you) </p>
<p>hope you've all been taking care. i'll be back soon! maybe next week! who do u think will be next :^)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. the wandering in the lost forest, part one</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next trial comes quicker than Sehun would like, but finally, he is here in the final days of his search for glory and everlasting life, potentially just a few weeks before his mission is at its end. The sooner he leaves, the sooner he’ll return and the sooner he’ll never have to leave again... at least, not unless he’d like to. </p>
<p>“Do you plan on spending a lot of time apart from me?” Junmyeon asks. </p>
<p>“Only to keep you from tiring of my eternal presence,” Sehun smiles, and he presses a kiss to Junmyeon’s forehead. </p>
<p>“Oh, what kind of tied souls would we be if we needed time apart?” </p>
<p>“I think we would be the normal sort of tied souls,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“If it is normal to want time apart from you, then I would prefer to be abnormal,” Junmyeon says, and he lifts himself up to look Sehun dead in the eyes. “Do you hear me?” </p>
<p>“Yes, I hear you.” </p>
<p>“You hear me, but you don’t listen.” </p>
<p>“Our struggle,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“At least there is some conflict between us to keep the love alive,” Junmyeon smiles, and he lays himself along Sehun’s chest to kiss him slowly. </p>
<p>It is long and luxurious like their approaching summer together. The endless summer. The days spent in the lands of the setting sun. Golden light pouring down upon them, the years spent between now and then. The trees bearing sunlight, each fruit more perfect than the last. </p>
<p>“Spend as little time as possible with him,” Junmyeon says. </p>
<p>“Because he is dangerous?” </p>
<p>“No, because I don’t want him to fall in love with you,” Junmyeon says, “and I fear it is in his nature to fall in love with the most beautiful things.” He strokes his hand along Sehun’s face, and Sehun lets his eyes flutter shut. “You are the most beautiful thing. And I would hate for you to fall for someone else.” </p>
<p>Sehun beholds him again, and Junmyeon kisses his cheeks, left and then right. </p>
<p>“When my heart is so enraptured with you? How could anyone compare?” </p>
<p>“Do not doubt his charms,” Junmyeon says. “He made Chanyeol forget about all other warmth besides his own. He has magic you don’t know.” </p>
<p>“Do you truly worry over my loyalty to you?” </p>
<p>“If you knew him, you would worry too.” </p>
<p>“Did you ever fall in love with him?” Sehun asks, and there is no jealousy welling within his stomach because truthfully, if there is one thing he knows, it is that Junmyeon has no one besides him, no room in his heart for another. </p>
<p>“Once upon a time,” Junmyeon says, “yes, he took my heart.” </p>
<p>“And you worry over <em>me</em>.” </p>
<p>“What’s that supposed to mean?” Junmyeon laughs. </p>
<p>“You know for certain that I have never known the touch of another,” Sehun says. “So how could you ever wonder whether I might stray?” </p>
<p>“It is precisely <em>because</em> you have never known the touch of another that I fear you might stray,” Junmyeon says. “You were the last and greatest delicacy of the world for me. But for you… there are many treasures in this world.” </p>
<p>“None so beautiful,” Sehun says, holding Junmyeon’s face in his hand. “None so perfect to me.” </p>
<p>“I hope that remains true for the rest of our lives. Until the sun finally sets.” </p>
<p>“It will,” Sehun says. “I have never been more sure of anything besides this.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon gives him a soft smile before pairing it with a gentle kiss. When they bathe that morning, it is somber and a bit sad, the same as it always is. Goodbyes are never sweet, but the number they must indulge in is whittling down slowly and surely.</p>
<p>Junmyeon picks his clothing for him that morning, the sun stealing in through the window, and Sehun stands alongside him regretfully. </p>
<p>“The weather will be fair, I think,” Junmyeon says, pulling a pair of simple cotton pants, tan in color, a simple cotton shirt, white. He hands them to Sehun, nodding. “Hurry along.” </p>
<p>“My bag… I fear I’ve left it at the door.”</p>
<p>Junmyeon grins at him as he walks through the chambers. He dips behind the wall, and Sehun waits for his return, bag in hand. “The attendants brought it here at my behest. I knew that you would need it.” He smiles wryly at Sehun. “You <em>have</em> to be more careful with your things.”  </p>
<p>“Thank you,” Sehun whispers, and he wraps his arms around Junmyeon once he’s finished dressing. “I don’t want to be apart from you any longer.” </p>
<p>“And yet you must go simply so that you can return,” Junmyeon says. “Pretend as if this is one of your vacations from me far in the distant future.” </p>
<p>Sehun thumps his fist against Junmyeon’s bicep as he squeezes him tighter to his body. </p>
<p>“Don’t tease me this way,” Sehun whispers. </p>
<p>“Think of me while you’re gone,” Junmyeon says. </p>
<p>“I cannot seem to stop myself from doing just that.” </p>
<p>“Then that’s all I ask of you.” </p>
<p>Together, they walk hand in hand to the great hall, and Jongin is already sitting at one of the long tables. He looks up with a smile, and Junmyeon sighs. </p>
<p>“What is it?” Jongin asks. “Even after I’ve given you several days together to reunite?” </p>
<p>“How thoughtful of you,” Junmyeon says. “Perhaps, if you were a bit more thoughtful, you could make the task something like fetching a glass of water.” </p>
<p>Jongin narrows his eyes with a handsome smile, shaking his finger at the two of them. </p>
<p>“You will not get something so simple from me,” he says. “Not when everyone else has had the opportunity to check off an item from their list!” </p>
<p>“Then away,” Junmyeon says, “before I keep you both here for the rest of time.” </p>
<p>“He <em>would</em> like us together, wouldn’t he?” Jongin whispers to Sehun, and it sets his stomach turning. “Oh, you’re easy, aren’t you?” </p>
<p>“I am often told this,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“I don’t want to share,” Junmyeon says. “Such things are no longer in my repertoire.” He looks to Sehun, adjusting the leather strap on Sehun’s shoulder. “Make quick work of it, won’t you?” </p>
<p>“I will, my love,” Sehun says, and he presses a simple kiss to Junmyeon’s cheek, something that says <em>Worry not, you will get something greater upon my return</em>. </p>
<p>Just like that, Jongin’s hand comes to his shoulder, and Sehun turns with a grin. </p>
<p>“This is my favorite part,” Jongin whispers with a beautiful smile. “And… away.”<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>Sehun lands easily, and Jongin stares at him with a perturbed look.</p><p>“What?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“You haven’t fallen,” Jongin says. “Truthfully, it is always fun to watch the humans fall a bit once we’ve jumped. It’s one of the things I look forward to.” </p>
<p>“I’ve gotten used to it,” Sehun says, and he brushes dust away from his sleeve. “If you didn’t want me to become accustomed to it, you shouldn’t have given such power away so freely.” </p>
<p>“Ah, what can I say?” Jongin shrugs wistfully. “My first love. The first great war between us all. It was a conciliatory measure. You’ll understand soon enough, once you manage to join our ranks.” </p>
<p>Sehun smiles, unable to decide if Jongin is being genuine or not. Still, he supposes it’s best not to show all of the cards in his hand either. </p>
<p>Sehun looks around at the land that they’ve found themselves in, a dark wooded forest laced with fog and smoke. The ground is covered with detritus, moss, snapped twigs, and the forest coos with soft, sweet melodies from birds that sound familiar to him.</p>
<p>It must not be too far from his home. His first home. The home that he thought would be his forever. </p>
<p>It is beautiful, lush and full, but empty of people. </p>
<p>“Where are we?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“Oh, it matters not,” Jongin says, “though if you must know, the people call this place the mother’s land.” </p>
<p>“O-Oh,” Sehun says, and he whips around. “Materria.” </p>
<p>“You know her name,” Jongin smiles. “Very good.” </p>
<p>“I’ve never been here before.” </p>
<p>“And for good reason,” Jongin says. “It is a sacred place. Few are permitted to enter.” </p>
<p>“Is it really where everything began?” </p>
<p>“Everything and more,” Jongin says simply. “The world was an ocean, and from the ocean, the forest. And this forest gave us life.” </p>
<p>Sehun’s mouth falls open with awe. There is nothing like it, of course, the feeling of history that thrums underfoot. There is something magical here, something ripe and fruitful, and he closes his eyes. Feels the air on his skin. It tingles along his forearms. </p>
<p>“You have not lost that light, have you?” Jongin says. “Even after all you’ve seen, after all you’ve done and all you’ve been through, you still have the light tucked away inside you?” </p>
<p>“I do not know what you mean, your grace,” Sehun whispers. </p>
<p>“Humanity,” Jongin says simply. “Even when you leave it behind you, I fear it will still cling to your cloak.” </p>
<p>“How do you mean?” </p>
<p>Jongin shrugs. “Just something in the way you look at things. Something in the way you move.” He looks Sehun in the eye. “You will never be one of us.” </p>
<p>“I am always reminded.” </p>
<p>“Make sure you never forget,” Jongin says. “The day you forget, you are lost.” </p>
<p>Sehun blinks, trying to figure out whether he’s being insulted or advised. </p>
<p>“This way,” Jongin says, bidding Sehun forward. “There is a cabin close by.” </p>
<p>They begin to walk through the outer edges of the forest, and because Jongin is silent as they walk, Sehun makes no effort to begin a conversation. He merely follows in Jongin’s footsteps, keeping the distance between them short. </p>
<p>They come upon the cabin within several minutes, and Jongin pushes inside without a knock. Sehun follows along, and he is astounded to find the cabin exceedingly well kept in a homey sort of way that reminds him of the people from his village. </p>
<p>There are weavings hung along the wall, braided fabric of purple, blue, and gold. Sehun lets his eyes move over them lazily, caught in all the tiny gaps. The cabin smells richly of cinnamon, and there is a simple bed, a chair with a plush white pillow, a bookcase full of bound books. There is a small kitchen, a small bath, and Jongin smiles when Sehun turns back to him. </p>
<p>“Is this where you live?” Sehun wonders. </p>
<p>“On occasion,” Jongin says. “When I tire of people.” </p>
<p>“How often is that?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“On occasion,” Jongin teases, and he points towards the kitchen’s table. There are only two chairs. “Would you like to sit?” </p>
<p>Sehun shrugs, sits at the table, and Jongin goes to the floor. He opens up a hatch in the floorboards, and he reveals a small root cellar. </p>
<p>“I’ve got an excellent bramble jam. Would you like some bread?” </p>
<p>Sehun looks around. “S-Sure.” </p>
<p>Jongin seems pleased with the response, immediately slicing them up a couple pieces, slathering them with purple-red jam. It is full of seeds, hearty, and Sehun takes a bite once Jongin sits to do the same. Sehun savors the taste of the jam, the homemade bread, and he watches Jongin with interest. </p>
<p>“Did you make it?” Sehun asks. “The jam?” </p>
<p>“And the bread,” Jongin says. “I’m quite talented.” </p>
<p>“It certainly seems that way,” Sehun says. “Thank you for the meal.” </p>
<p>“Ah, it is no trouble. I think it’s much easier to get to know someone over food. Wouldn’t you agree?” </p>
<p>“Of course,” Sehun says. “I shared a meal with Chanyeol before my task as well.” </p>
<p>“Did you now?” Jongin smiles. “And how is our Chanyeol?” </p>
<p>“Just as frivolous as I assume he’s always been,” Sehun says, and it makes Jongin throw his head back with a stifled laugh. “What? Is it so funny?” </p>
<p>“He is dutiful, you know,” Jongin says. “There is a reason I had only wanted to give him the gift. I thought he was the most suited to it.” </p>
<p>“I thought it was because you fell in love with him,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>Jongin pouts. “Now who told you that?” </p>
<p>“Everyone,” Sehun smiles. </p>
<p>“Oh, fisherboy,” Jongin smiles, and he reaches over the table, patting Sehun on the hand. “I can’t stay mad at you. You’re much too beautiful, I think.” </p>
<p>He is one to talk, Sehun thinks. Jongin is even more beautiful than the stories tell. His skin is dewy and clear, pores so small it looks like he barely has any. His lips are full and red, his eyes dark and warm and expressive, and his hair is long enough to cover the back of his neck. He brushes his fringe carelessly out of his face. </p>
<p>“What is it?” Jongin asks. “Has your love warned you of me?” </p>
<p>“Of course he has,” Sehun whispers. </p>
<p>“And now that you’re here?” Jongin teases. “Now that you’re before me?” </p>
<p>“I think it was wise for him to warn me,” Sehun smiles. </p>
<p>Jongin grins at him, and it fills Sehun with a furious warmth. </p>
<p>“You are not without charm, no matter what Jongdae said,” Jongin says. “Come. Let me show you around outside.” </p>
<p>He stands, leaving Sehun to follow. </p>
<p>“He said I was without charm?” Sehun asks, tailing after him quickly. “What exactly did he say?” </p>
<p>They burst outside, and again, Sehun is overtaken by the beauty of this place. No wonder Jongin has taken residence here. The lands of Materria are bountiful, gorgeous to behold. </p>
<p>“You’re easy to tease, has anyone ever told you so?” </p>
<p>“All the time,” Sehun says with a scowl, and he slaps his neck as a small bug lands along his skin. “Now, shall we discuss the matter at hand?” </p>
<p>“You’re in a rush,” Jongin notes. </p>
<p>“You’re familiar with my journey, are you not? You know what I have done and what I have seen.” </p>
<p>“True enough,” Jongin nods. “You have had quite the time of it. How many turns of the moon has it been? Too long to count?” </p>
<p>Sehun thinks hard as his eyes slip shut, trying to recall just when this all began. He has been in a vortex, a swirling whirlwind of time and space, and Gods, he is ready for his rest. He is ready for it all to be said and done. </p>
<p>“Yes, I suppose so,” he answers, and Jongin smiles upon him as if taking pity on a weary soul. </p>
<p>“Fisherboy, our mission is quite simple,” Jongin says, and he points past the cabin towards the deep, dark wood. “You must lead me through the wandering forest. To the very heart of Materria.” </p>
<p>“Oh,” Sehun says, squinting. “Can’t you do it alone? What is the point of such a thing when you can simply—”  </p>
<p>“Jump? Wouldn’t be much of a trial for you if I just leapt to the center of the forest, would it?” He grins at Sehun, and he leaps from the left to the right, making Sehun whip his head from side to side. “Besides, there is a reason I cannot do it on my own.”</p>
<p>“W-What reason is that?” Sehun asks warily. “Some monster? Some demon from below?” </p>
<p>“Nothing so morbid,” Jongin says, and he tilts his head to the side. “What have they made you do? Such violence?” </p>
<p>Sehun rolls his eyes. “You’ve said you’d heard.” </p>
<p>“Oh yes,” Jongin smiles prettily. “Your tales of courage stretch far and wide across the lands.”</p>
<p>“Then why bother to ask?” </p>
<p>“For fun?” Jongin shrugs with a grin. </p>
<p>“Tell me of the wandering forest,” Sehun says. “Tell me what lies before us.” </p>
<p>“Oh, it will be a long trip, I think,” Jongin says. “What is that old saying? <em>The road is long behind, but even longer ahead.</em>” </p>
<p>Sehun closes his eyes. It has been a while since he heard those fateful words. He has come so far, but there is still longer to go. In the same vein, he has done so much, been so many places, but the world is boundless to him. Will be so endless once he’s reached his goal. The road will stretch on into forever. And he is ready for that. That endless road.  </p>
<p>“I believe that is the phrase, yes,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“Are you sure you’re quite prepared?” </p>
<p>“I know that I am not. Almost certainly the point of this.”</p>
<p>“You think I’m out to get you!” Jongin says excitedly. “Has Chanyeol had such a lasting effect? He will be thrilled to hear it.” </p>
<p>“Enough, enough,” Sehun says. “Let’s go back inside before the bugs eat us alive.”  </p>
<p>They head back into the cabin, and for the rest of the day and the long, Jongin tells him about the task that presents itself to them. </p>
<p>Materria is the seat of all worldly power, the wound from which magic bleeds. It is a strange place, Jongin says, a place of splendor and majesty, but for someone like Jongin, great danger. As Jongin cooks them a simple meal of fried fish, vegetables, and toast, Sehun listens intently. </p>
<p>“Once, once when I was much, much younger,” Jongin says, looking all of about twenty summers, “I tried to leap to the center of the forest.” </p>
<p>“What happened?” Sehun wonders, mouth hanging open as he hangs on the edge of Jongin’s words. </p>
<p>“Disaster,” Jongin whispers. “I nearly lost my mind. I nearly lost my <em>everlasting life.</em> And so do you understand why I need you, Sehun? I need your help reaching the center of this place. I must know… I must see it with my own eyes.” </p>
<p>“How many times have you tried and failed?” </p>
<p>Jongin grins. “You know our kind well.” </p>
<p>“Once you have set your mind to something, you see it done.” </p>
<p>“In that, we are the same, are we not?” Jongin asks. “So many chances for you to look backwards, step backwards, rid yourself of the challenge. You said <em>no. I have promised myself I will do this, and so I will see it done.</em>” </p>
<p>“You are right,” Sehun answers. “I will see the end of this.” </p>
<p>“And so we will both see the center of the forest,” Jongin nods happily, “along with whatever horrors or wonders may lie within.” </p>
<p>“Always the horrors,” Sehun whispers, and Jongin reaches over to slap him along the shoulder. </p>
<p>They eat quietly, and Sehun looks over at Jongin when they're finished. </p>
<p>"What do you imagine you'll find there, at the center?" Sehun asks, unable to bite back his questions. </p>
<p>"I confess, I do not know," Jongin says, and he smiles at Sehun. "Perhaps nothing." </p>
<p>"And still, you must know." </p>
<p>"I must know," Jongin says. "I must do what no one has done." He spears a rooted vegetable onto his tines, shakes it at Sehun. "Your God, he has taught you over the world between worlds, hasn't he?" </p>
<p>Sehun's heart clenches at the memory. "He has." </p>
<p>Jongin shrugs. "I think it might be a world between worlds. I think it might be a bridge." </p>
<p>"A bridge to where?" Sehun asks. </p>
<p>"Somewhere else," Jongin says. </p>
<p>"And you need to go? Simply to satisfy your own curiosity?" </p>
<p>“Of course,” Jongin says. </p>
<p>“We are so alike,” Sehun smiles. </p>
<p>“You think?” </p>
<p>“I know,” Sehun says. “It is so human to want to see what no one else has seen. Do what no one else has done.” </p>
<p>“You were made in our likeness,” Jongin smiles. “I suppose we got at least one thing right.” </p>
<p>They are more alike than they realize, Sehun thinks to himself, finishing his meal quietly as he watches the night settle through the window. The gods have been gods for so long that they think they’re so different. Sehun sees right through them. </p>
<p>After they’re finished, he takes the ceramics and brings them to the washbowl. He washes them clean, wipes them dry, and stacks them neatly. He wanders back to the table, and Jongin is staring at him, looking at Sehun as if endeared. </p>
<p>“You live to serve, do you not?” </p>
<p>“What makes you say this?” Sehun asks, sitting down alongside him. </p>
<p>“Baekhyun told me of your devotion,” Jongin says. “Do you remember, so long ago? The temptation during the storm?” </p>
<p>He remembers. Baekhyun’s golden eyes. The light shining through him. </p>
<p>“What is your point, your grace?” </p>
<p>“It seems you need something to do,” Jongin says, tilting his head to the side. “Need to keep busy or else you’ll go crazy.” </p>
<p>Sehun frowns. “I don’t know what gave you that impression.” </p>
<p>“Everything I’ve heard and everything I’ve seen of you,” Jongin says. </p>
<p>“It might be that you just need more time spent amongst humanity,” Sehun says.  </p>
<p>“What makes you say this?” </p>
<p>“Purpose,” Sehun says. “That is what everyone searches for. Meaning within purpose. It is not like a person to do <em>nothing</em> at all. Most people don’t find happiness with boredom.”  </p>
<p>Jongin frowns. “I suppose you’re right. It’s just that you’re all so… simple.” </p>
<p>Sehun’s thought a lot about humanity. Never once thought it <em>simple</em>. </p>
<p>“When was the last time you held a human as a friend?” </p>
<p>“Oh, a long, long time ago,” Jongin says. </p>
<p>“I thought you came here on <em>occasion</em>,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“Time is difficult when you’re our age,” Jongin says. “You wouldn’t understand, of course. Not yet.” </p>
<p>Sehun rolls his eyes. “We should sleep. Get lots of rest before we begin.” </p>
<p>“I suppose,” Jongin says, and he lays knitted blankets along the floorboards, gesturing for Sehun. “Will it suffice for a night?” </p>
<p>“I’ve slept on worse,” Sehun assures him. </p>
<p>“I have been thinking of the one who came before you,” Jongin says. “The one who joined our ranks by sheer force of will…” </p>
<p>“Yes, your grace?” </p>
<p>“It has been so long now, I barely remember what he looked like as a human,” Jongin smiles, shining in the moonlight. He looks at Sehun. “I wonder what you will look like after so much time.” </p>
<p>“I wonder,” Sehun says, and while Jongin seems to fall asleep easily, gently rising and falling, Sehun stares at the ceiling and wonders what Jongin means.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>When the morning breaks, Jongin is quick to wake Sehun. They gather their supplies, easily kept food wrapped in paper and stuffed into their bags. Jongin wears his along his back, hands braced on the straps. He looks very small like that, excitable and sweet. Sehun finds himself smiling.</p><p>“Are we well-prepared now?” Jongin asks. “Shall we begin?” </p>
<p>“I suppose we shall,” Sehun says, though it all feels a bit anticlimactic to him. </p>
<p>After all he’s been through, all he’s seen… they are simply meant to navigate a forest? It might as well have been fetching a glass of water. </p>
<p>There is a break in the tree line, a dirt path through the trees. It seems to glow in the morning light, blues and golds and greens. Sehun is taken aback by the beauty for a moment before remembering the danger that could be at hand. He focuses his mind, taking a few deep breaths before turning to Jongin with a small smile. </p>
<p>“Start at the beginning?” </p>
<p>“There is no better place to start, I’m told,” Jongin smiles, and he puts his arm around Sehun’s shoulder as they walk forth. “And so we begin our remarkable journey, one that will surely live as long as we do.” </p>
<p>“Do you intend to narrate the whole trip?” Sehun asks, the forest floor crunching with every step forward. </p>
<p>“How else will we pass the time?” Jongin asks, waving a hand out in front of them as they begin down the beaten path forward through the lost forest. “Our heroes, both pure of heart and sound of mind, one seeking glory and the other seeking truth… will they find what they are so desperately searching for? Or perhaps will they find something more meaningful than either of their goals?” </p>
<p>“What’s more meaningful than glory and truth?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>Jongin looks at him, wiggling his eyebrows. “True love.” </p>
<p>Sehun shoves him away, making Jongin leap through space to avoid falling into a tree. It sends him into a fit of laughter. </p>
<p>“Thought you couldn’t jump,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“Can’t jump <em>to the center</em>,” Jongin reminds him. “Come now, fisherboy. I think this trip will give us a great chance to become close. We can bond over our love for our Suho. God of rivers and rains.” </p>
<p>“Perhaps you are right,” Sehun says, and he looks to the sky, trying to find the sun through the cover of trees. “We have much in common.” </p>
<p>They disappear into the winding labyrinth, the fog building around them as they go. Sehun thinks of Junmyeon, keeping his warnings at the forefront of his mind. He knows what he will return to. He knows where he is meant to go. Still, he figures it will not hurt to let Jongin in. At least a bit.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hello there, are you all impressed with how quickly i put this out? its because it's insane and most of the time i dont know what im doing, i just keep going </p>
<p>anyway love a jongin. also sorry for the sound of music reference. if you couldnt tell, i was an annoying theater kid. thanks for reading, hope u have a good week!!!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. the wandering in the lost forest, part two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Tell me about yourself.” </p>
<p>Sehun looks to his left. Jongin has his arms swinging from side to side as they walk down the only path in the forest, smiling cheerfully as they go. It has not been very long since their travel began, but mostly, they have walked in silence. </p>
<p>Sehun assumed that pattern would continue, but charming as Jongin is, he probably should have not done so. </p>
<p>“You know me, your grace,” Sehun says. “All that there is to know of me, you have been made aware of it, I'm sure.” </p>
<p>“Oh, I don't think that's true,” Jongin says. “What of your childhood? Your family?” </p>
<p>Sehun thinks back to his father, his brother. His brother will have married by now. He has not even met the girl. He asked one question, and he had left it all behind after he'd heard the answer. </p>
<p>“There is not much to tell.” </p>
<p>“Do you know what I think?” Jongin asks. </p>
<p>“How could I possibly know such a thing?” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“I think,” Jongin continues fearlessly, “people only say <em>There is not much to tell</em> when they fear there is too much to tell.” </p>
<p>“Very philosophical of you,” Sehun says. “I have a father and a brother. My childhood was simple. Are you happy now?” </p>
<p>“There is much antagonism within you,” Jongin teases. “I wonder why. Am I bringing up feelings of guilt?” </p>
<p>“Would it delight you if my answer was yes?” </p>
<p>“No,” Jongin says. “Why would that delight me?” </p>
<p>“I don’t know,” Sehun says. “What else excites an immortal being?” </p>
<p>“Happiness,” Jongin says easily. “Joy!” </p>
<p>Sehun squints as they continue to walk, and he turns, looks back out over the billowing fog. They come to a fork in the road, and wordlessly, thoughtlessly, he leads them to the left. Jongin follows, and they don’t discuss the choice at all. </p>
<p>“Why do you feel guilt?” Jongin asks. </p>
<p>“I left them behind,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“In search of everlasting life,” Jongin says. </p>
<p>“Yes,” Sehun says, “knowing that they will not be able to follow in my footsteps.” </p>
<p>“This life is not for everyone,” Jongin says knowingly. “Most humans, even if given the chance… I don’t think they would take immortality. This path is meandering and cruel. No, I don't think they'd enjoy it. Surely not.” </p>
<p>“No?” </p>
<p>“No,” Jongin says. “Especially not if it meant they had to face the challenges you have faced.” </p>
<p>Sehun looks off. He will return to them. He will show them he has not abandoned them. He hopes his father is still well. He closes his eyes and thinks of him. He imagines them beholding him truly for the first time, artifice long gone, standing before them changed and unchanged, scathed and unscathed, hand in hand with the love that defied all odds. </p>
<p>“I want to honor them,” Sehun whispers. “Once upon a time, they were all that I had. All that I knew.” </p>
<p>“If they knew what you were up to, trust me, they would understand.” </p>
<p>“Perhaps,” Sehun says. “I hope.” </p>
<p>Jongin is quiet for a second, looks over at Sehun. “Is that what you’ll do once you’re finished?” </p>
<p>“I think after… perhaps after a trip,” Sehun says, suddenly shy. </p>
<p>“A trip?” Jongin laughs. “Is your wanderlust not yet satisfied?” </p>
<p>“The sunset lands,” Sehun says. He raises his brows. “Do you know it?” </p>
<p>“I have heard of it,” Jongin says. “But I have never traveled there.” </p>
<p>“Why not?” </p>
<p>Jongin shrugs. “I have not yet found my treasured one.” </p>
<p>“So?” </p>
<p>“So the sunset lands are only for sacred love,” Jongin says. “When I find it, I’m sure I will go.” </p>
<p>Sehun finds himself wondering about Jongin. He is handsome, sweet, doesn’t seem to have a mean bone in him… he is close to Chanyeol, close to Jongdae, close to Baekhyun. Is he still close to Junmyeon? Has he ever loved someone the way Sehun loves Junmyeon? </p>
<p>“You look as if you have many questions for me,” Jongin smiles. </p>
<p>“I suppose I might have a few,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“Feel free to ask,” Jongin says, and he holds his arms out. “There is little to do but walk and hope we find the center.” </p>
<p>“Should we cut through the trees?” Sehun asks, and he looks to his right, begins to push through the fog.  </p>
<p>“You could try.”  </p>
<p>And that is how Sehun finds himself wandering… back out of the forest. He looks back behind him, and Jongin steps out with a soft, sad grin. </p>
<p>“What’s going on?” </p>
<p>“We got lost,” Jongin says. He shrugs his shoulders. “You’ll get used to it once you recognize her rules.” </p>
<p>“How are we back here?” Sehun asks, and he whips his head around from side to side like it is the first time he’s ever experienced magic.  </p>
<p>“What do you mean, <em>how are we back here?</em>” Jongin smiles. “It is called the lost forest for a reason, isn’t it?” </p>
<p>“I didn’t think that it meant <em>we</em> must be lost.” Sehun scuffs his foot along the dirt. “I simply thought it was lost to humanity.” </p>
<p>“You think I have waited centuries to get to the center of the forest simply because I couldn’t put my pride behind me and <em>walk?</em>” </p>
<p>“Perhaps you are lazy,” Sehun says with a shrug. “I do not know you very well, your grace.” </p>
<p>“Certainly not,” Jongin says, and he takes Sehun by the sleeve. “Let’s go. We will try again.” </p>
<p>Sehun huffs as he allows Jongin to tug him back through the brush of the woods, the fog sweeping and curling around them, teeming with magic and the frantic kind of bursting energy that sparkles on your skin.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>Sehun learns the forest’s rules.</p><p>The first rule, and the most important in Sehun’s opinion, is that you must not wander too far into the fog. Once you hit a wall of smoke, you are put right back to the beginning of the forest, all your work and all your walking squandered. </p>
<p>The second rule is that no path is the same once you’ve crossed it, something in the earth twisting and shifting so quickly and silently that you wouldn’t even notice the ground moving under your feet. Ultimately, it meant there would be no way to tell if you’ve gone down the same path before, that trying to keep track of paths you had journeyed down on a previous trip was a fruitless cause. </p>
<p>The third rule is that you must keep your head. Truthfully, Sehun finds that more challenging than any of the rest. Jongin keeps the conversation flowing, and Sehun struggles to keep himself sane. </p>
<p>“Oh, don’t be like that,” Jongin says. “We’re having fun.” </p>
<p>“This is not my exact idea of fun,” Sehun says, and he looks up to the darkening sky. “My feet are beginning to hurt. How long have we been walking, do you figure?” </p>
<p>“Perhaps the better part of the day,” Jongin says. “Shall we rest here for the night?” </p>
<p>Jongin flicks a flame between his thumb and his forefinger, and Sehun’s mouth falls open. </p>
<p>“You didn’t think I would give him <em>my</em> gift without getting a gift in return, did you?” Jongin teases, and he gestures to the brush along the edges of the path. “Hurry along now, gather the kindling. Didn’t anyone teach you to make a fire?” </p>
<p>Sehun rolls his eyes, but Jongin’s charms are infectious after all. After the fire has been lit and they are sitting opposite each other, he watches the flames dance in Jongin’s warm eyes. He smiles, and Jongin smiles back. </p>
<p>“What is it?” Jongin asks. </p>
<p>“Nothing,” Sehun says. “I was only thinking.” </p>
<p>“Thinking of what?” </p>
<p>“Thinking of what Junmyeon told me.” </p>
<p>“And what did he tell you?” Jongin asks. He waves his fingers over the tongues of the fire, wiggling them as if daring the fire to hurt him. “Sordid details of our love affair?” </p>
<p>“How long ago was it?” </p>
<p>“Oh, centuries, I fear,” Jongin says. “Are you jealous?” </p>
<p>“No,” Sehun says, finding himself telling the truth. </p>
<p>“So you aren’t,” Jongin says, nodding with a pleasing smile. “Good. If you got jealous every time you came across someone who had fucked him, then—” </p>
<p>“That’s enough now,” Sehun warns him. </p>
<p>“Not sensitive, but not easy to walk over either,” Jongin praises. “Good. You’ll do well.” </p>
<p>“I hope so,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“There isn’t anything else you’d like to know?” Jongin asks. “About him? About our past?” </p>
<p>Sehun can imagine how their relationship transpired. Frivolous youths at the height of their power, drunk with their own abilities, graced with beauty and all the best things in the world… of course, they had fallen in love. </p>
<p>"How did he love you?" </p>
<p>"Not as he loves you if that's what you're wondering," Jongin says. </p>
<p>"It wasn't," Sehun answers. </p>
<p>"He loved me well," Jongin says wistfully. "It was not longer than a decade, though. A freckle. A wink in time." </p>
<p>"W-We have only loved each other for a year," Sehun says. "It could not be longer than that." </p>
<p>"And that worries you?" </p>
<p>"He has spoken of passion fading away," Sehun says. </p>
<p>"I imagine, at first, he thought his feelings for you were like the rest," Jongin says, and he puts his chin in his hand. "But look at what you are willing to sacrifice for a life with him? Look how dedicated you are to him. How desperate you are." Jongin shrugs his shoulders. "That is an addictive idea. I think you've put him under a spell." </p>
<p>"He seems excited now," Sehun says. "For our eternity. For me to join you." </p>
<p>"And so he should." </p>
<p>"B-But—" </p>
<p>"But you still worry over things he's said," Jongin says. "You've lost the confidence you had so early?" Jongin smiles. "Here, I thought you would have gained confidence along the way." </p>
<p>"I-I have!" </p>
<p>"Where is it?" Jongin asks. "Perhaps at the center of the lost forest?" </p>
<p>Sehun rolls his eyes. "Remind me never to appear vulnerable in front of you ever again." </p>
<p>Jongin throws his head back with a laugh, and it makes a smile curve onto Sehun's mouth as well. </p>
<p>"You know I'm only teasing you," Jongin says. "I just find it interesting." </p>
<p>"Something about you brings up these feelings," Sehun says. </p>
<p>"Something about me?" </p>
<p>"You are beautiful," Sehun says. "And you loved him before I loved him." </p>
<p>"And it makes you nervous?" </p>
<p>"Not nervous," Sehun says. "Contemplative." </p>
<p>"Would you like to hear what I think about the matter?" Jongin asks. </p>
<p>"I think you will almost definitely tell me what you think no matter my answer," Sehun smiles. </p>
<p>"I think that you have made him realize things about himself that he never wanted to realize before," Jongin says. "He has always wanted someone to have and hold forever." Jongin shakes his head from side to side. "He was searching. Trying to find something that fits without realizing it. And when he heard you, when he heard your prayers, I think it awoke something within him. Something that unlocked his heart." </p>
<p>"It had been buried somewhere," Sehun whispers. "Buried within him." </p>
<p>"Precisely," Jongin says happily. "He told himself he was happy. Happy with the way that things had been. Happy with who he was. Now, he doesn't have to say. The happiest people are the ones who don't need to proclaim it." </p>
<p>Sehun worries his lip between his teeth, and they share some quiet. </p>
<p>"Besides," Jongin says. </p>
<p>"Besides what?" </p>
<p>"You are beautiful," Jongin says, and he looks Sehun up and down, gaze hovering by Sehun's mouth. "No wonder he has unchained his heart. You would awaken the dead." </p>
<p>"Would you believe that he told me to watch myself around you?" </p>
<p>"I can see why," Jongin whispers. "It is part of my mission in this world to give love to the things that deserve it most." </p>
<p>"And those who deserve it most are the ones most pleasing to the eye?" </p>
<p>"And those who are pure of heart," Jongin smiles. "It just so happens that you are both." </p>
<p>"What luck," Sehun says. </p>
<p>"Yes," Jongin says. "Great fortune." He tilts his head to the side. "Are you quite sure I wouldn't be able to steal you away from him?" </p>
<p>"Nothing in this world or any of the rest would ever be able to tear us apart," Sehun says. "I apologize, your grace." </p>
<p>Jongin huffs his way through a smile, looking not-so-secretly delighted. </p>
<p>"I suppose I will have to wait a bit longer to find my sacred one," Jongin says. "Isn't it terrible? Don't you feel so horrible for me, little fish?" </p>
<p>"No one suffers more than you, your grace." </p>
<p>"Ah, see, I could never love you truly," Jongin smiles. "You give me what I want too easily." </p>
<p>"Is that what you're seeking, then?" Sehun wonders. "You want someone to challenge you?" </p>
<p>"I had a challenge once," Jongin says wistfully, and he looks away towards the forest's line. "It was so long ago now." </p>
<p>"Tell me of this challenge," Sehun says, strangely transfixed by the look in Jongin's eyes, faraway and sad. He has never seen Jongin look that way before. </p>
<p>"Ah, it is not a story for tonight," Jongin says. He nods to Sehun. "Rest your head. We have a great challenge before us, do we not?" </p>
<p>"I suppose we do." </p>
<p>"Don't lose focus now," Jongin smiles. "I would hate to tell your beloved that you forgot all about everlasting love just because of me." </p>
<p>Sehun rolls his eyes, but he follows Jongin's orders. He lays by the fire, the warmth seeping through him easily. He watches Jongin until he falls asleep, but he cannot say whether Jongin notices him. Jongin's face is soft and sad, memories dancing across his face like the shadow of flames. Sehun closes his eyes, swallowing the questions. The story will be told, he tells himself, and the truth will always come to light.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>They walk for two more days, and they rest for the nights. Sehun listens as Jongin regales him with stories of their past, all the gods. The waters had always been filthy between them, but lately, Jongin confesses, there was a clarity. Some kind of soothing presence.</p><p>"Who knows?" Jongin says. "Perhaps it is the weather." </p>
<p>"Several of you control the weather," Sehun frowns. "Maybe it's <em>me</em>." </p>
<p>"You vacillate wildly from pride to shame." </p>
<p>"Such is the way of humanity." </p>
<p>"Ah, this feeble kind," Jongin teases, and he bumps himself against Sehun as they walk. </p>
<p>With complete honesty, Sehun tires of walking. It isn't that he doesn't appreciate Jongin's company, his stories, but once he has moved past his awe of the lost forest, it appears to be quite a meaningless experience. The same fog, the same magical mist, the same clucking of crows and different sorts of black birds... it is all the same. No matter where they go, no matter what road they turn down, it is all the same. </p>
<p>It is tiresome, almost enough to drive someone mad. </p>
<p>"Lucky for you," Jongin smiles. "You have me to keep you sane." </p>
<p>"Lucky me." </p>
<p>Jongin laughs, and the sound drives the birds up into the sky. The blue sky speckles black.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>More days pass, and the more they walk, the more Sehun is convinced that this could be the end of his journey. He thought he would die with terrible violence, with the stroke of a sword or the swing of magic, but perhaps he was always meant for a death more pedestrian.</p><p>"Oh, enough," Jongin says. "Truthfully, the magic is wearing off." </p>
<p>"Magic?" Sehun laughs. "What magic?" </p>
<p>"Your charm," Jongin says. "Maybe Jongdae was right." </p>
<p>Sehun slaps him across the back, and it makes Jongin sing with delighted laughter. They have found a little friendship here in the lost forest, and contentious as it might seem at times, Sehun has discovered his appreciation for Jongin. He is very sweet, caring for all the little creatures, and he always keeps things light. Never too proud to joke around, even at his own expense. </p>
<p>Sehun appreciates that. </p>
<p>Still, he is weary. So very tired. The same things, day after day. The same sights. The same air. He sucks in a breath fraught with frustration, and Jongin looks at him but says nothing. </p>
<p>Sehun watches his feet as he continues to walk. Sehun thinks about what it could all mean. What does the wandering gain you? Has he missed the great hint? Has it moved by him so easily? Surely there must be an explanation. There must be <em>some</em> way to get what they want. </p>
<p>"I wonder if there is a secret to all this," Sehun says softly, their feet crunching along the path. "A secret to reaching the center." </p>
<p>"I confess, I do not know." </p>
<p>"Have you wondered?" </p>
<p>"Of course," Jongin smiles. "I have researched. I have read all there is to read about this place. But... but no one knows. Not even the others. It is a mystery." </p>
<p>Sehun pouts his lips, staring at the winding road before them. </p>
<p>“There must be something incredible at her heart,” Sehun whispers, his heart's light growing and billowing with brighter light with every second that passes. “We must find it.” </p>
<p>“Oh, I’ve heard of your determination, but my, there is nothing like seeing it up close!” Jongin says, and he skips to catch up to Sehun. “You are a marvel.” </p>
<p>“I just want to complete our task,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“And you’re curious.” </p>
<p>“And I’m a bit curious,” Sehun admits. </p>
<p>“Tell me, traveler, weary wanderer, little river that leads to the great lake,” Jongin muses, “what do you imagine might be at the center of such a place?” </p>
<p>“Something magical, I presume,” Sehun says. “Something amazing.” </p>
<p>“Mm,” Jongin smiles. “Continue.” </p>
<p>“Do you <em>know</em> what is resting at the center of the lost forest?” Sehun asks, squinting. </p>
<p>“No, why?” </p>
<p>“It seems like you are testing me,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>Jongin throws his head back with a laugh. “You have spent too long amongst our kind, I fear. You are very discerning now.” </p>
<p>“I have no guesses,” Sehun settles on, folding his arms across his chest. </p>
<p>“All right,” Jongin says. “Would you like to hear my guess?” </p>
<p>“Sure,” Sehun says. “It matters not.” </p>
<p>“I think there will be a well,” Jongin says. “I think if you leap into the well, you will walk between the worlds.” </p>
<p>“Have you heard stories such as this?” </p>
<p>“No,” Jongin says, “just day-dreamed about the possibilities for a long, long time.” </p>
<p>“Maybe,” Sehun says. “Perhaps there is a weapon.” </p>
<p>“A <em>weapon</em>? In such a sacred place?” </p>
<p>“You never know,” Sehun says. “Maybe it is something so dangerous it must be hidden away.” </p>
<p>“Hm.” </p>
<p>“Hm?” </p>
<p>“Hm,” Jongin says. “Perhaps you are right.” </p>
<p>“You think?” </p>
<p>“It could be anything,” Jongin says, “and yet, even if I mustn’t use it, mustn’t touch it, mustn’t look upon it… it is the only place I cannot go. And so I must.” </p>
<p>“You are just as determined as me,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“You were made in my image,” Jongin whispers, and he reaches over to stroke his fingers along Sehun’s cheek. “Why, then, have you been made so beautifully?” </p>
<p>“It is because you are beautiful, your grace,” Sehun says, and he feels his stomach turn over with something like temptation. “Let me go.” </p>
<p>“Why?” Jongin teases. “Because of your true love?” </p>
<p>“I fear he might drown you if you touch me more,” Sehun says softly. </p>
<p>“And what of you?” Jongin asks. “What will <em>your</em> wrath look like?” </p>
<p>Something softer, Sehun thinks. Sweeter. There has never been a doubt in his mind that he and Junmyeon were made to belong to each other, but Jongin is kind, sweet, beautiful, and he is new. New. </p>
<p>“Does this make you wonder?” Jongin asks. “Does it make you think about what you are giving up when you sacrifice your life to him?” </p>
<p>“I made my choice long ago,” Sehun whispers softly. “I was not yet a man and still, I promised my life to him.” </p>
<p>“Good thing about your mortal life,” Jongin smiles. “It will end soon. Your immortal life will begin, and you can spend it however you choose.” </p>
<p>Sehun’s eyes graze along the seam of Jongin’s lips as he stares, works it over in his head. Jongin is right. He will be remade and reborn as soon as these tasks are over, and in truth, nothing but words tie him and Junmyeon together. </p>
<p>“Your grace, I could not be without him,” Sehun confesses. </p>
<p>“And you know it to be true?” Jongin asks. </p>
<p>“It is the only truth I know,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>"Can I tell you my story?" Jongin wonders. "Is now the right time?" </p>
<p>"I don't know, your grace," Sehun says. "Maybe there is no such thing as the right time." </p>
<p>They share the quiet of the woods, and it stretches over them like a veil. Sehun gives Jongin time, lets him come up with his own words instead of prompting him at all. And sooner rather than later, set against the backdrop of the misty, magical forest, Sehun hears his tale. </p>
<p>"Once, I fell in love," Jongin says. "Not love as I had experienced before. Love that I thought would stand the test of endless time." </p>
<p>It makes Sehun look at Jongin in a new light, the helpless side of him, the exposed skin... love will do that to a man, Sehun thinks. Tear him down to nothing. </p>
<p>"Who was it?" </p>
<p>"His name is not mine to tell," Jongin says, and there is a yearning that stretches along his throat like a pulsing vein. A pining that Sehun can see with his very own eyes. "It is a song now. He is but a song." </p>
<p>"What song?" </p>
<p>"A song of loss, I fear," Jongin whispers. "I lost him once I thought I finally had him for good." </p>
<p>"Why?" </p>
<p>"I think I clung too tightly to him," Jongin says. "Wanted too much from him. The fury of a god is like none other, that much I'm sure you know, but our love is just as powerful. Just as potent." He shakes his head. "Do you know what you're going into? What kind of passion faces you for a lifetime?" </p>
<p>"I know," Sehun answers. </p>
<p>"Good," Jongin smiles. "I'm glad. I would hate to see two more people meant for each other split apart due to... well, it matters not. Time has written over our song." </p>
<p>"Is it too late?" Sehun whispers. "Are you sure it's too late?" </p>
<p>"He is long gone to me." </p>
<p>Sehun lowers his eyes. It reminds him of why it is so incredibly vital for him to succeed on this mission. Time itself is his enemy. The only thing that could possibly threaten his love with Junmyeon is time. And once this is all over and done, he won't have to think her an enemy any longer. He can extend his hand to her, become her friend. </p>
<p>A tear slips down Jongin's face, but he brushes it away. It is easy to forget the depth of people when they are so cheerful, so full of light. Jongin, he expects, feels things more deeply than most. He sympathizes with him. He felt it was just a plight he experienced on his own. </p>
<p>"I"m sorry if I've... if I made you remember things you wish to have forgotten," Sehun says. </p>
<p>"This is not something you forget," Jongin says. "But I think, strangely, talking with you has made me feel a bit better about it all." He sniffs wetly, turning to Sehun with a smile. "Stand still for a moment, will you?" </p>
<p>Sehun frowns in confusion, and he stops before Jongin. Jongin claps him on the shoulders with a watery grin. </p>
<p>"I always came here out of a sense of duty," Jongin says. "Some desire to give him what he wants." </p>
<p>"W-What do you mean?" </p>
<p>"It was his great wish to see what was held here," Jongin says. "But now, I think it is my greatest desire, not because of him, but because of me. Because I want to finally let go of this pain. This pain that has loomed large before me." </p>
<p>Sehun smiles weakly at him, and Jongin steps back with a laugh. </p>
<p>"Stand there, let me capture this memory forever," Jongin says. "Smile now." </p>
<p>Sehun looks awkwardly, left to right, before aiming a smile at Jongin. It is an abnormal camaraderie they've found, but he cherishes it just the same. </p>
<p>Jongin throws his head back with a laugh, and Sehun finds himself laughing in measure. Then, Jongin's gaze is caught behind Sehun. Sehun resists the urge to turn, to look. </p>
<p>"What is it?" he asks softly.</p>
<p>“Sehun, look,” Jongin says. “I think we are almost there.” </p>
<p>Sehun turns to see what's behind him, and his eyes go wide as he beholds the great tree with immediacy, stretching up so high that he thinks it must pierce the heavens. Jongin brushes past him, staring up at the tree, and Sehun's heart feels light, feels so very bright. </p>
<p>Jongin turns back to him with eyes alight, full of excitement. </p>
<p>"Come on!" Jongin says. "We've nearly done it!" </p>
<p>Sehun leaps forward with a jolt in every step. They have reached the center of the lost forest, the two of them and no one else in this world.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hope u enjoyed, thank u for reading! we're almost there!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. the wandering in the lost forest, part three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jongin kneels at the foot of the magnificent oak tree that lurches up into the sky, so Sehun kneels too. He watches Jongin bow his head. Sehun bows his head as well. He has no idea what's next for them, not now that they've finally arrived, but he figured that Jongin must. He moves with such confidence, so Sehun feels like he must follow. </p>
<p>"Bless us with your glory," Jongin says proudly, and in the next moment, Sehun is being nudged sharply in the gut. </p>
<p>"Ow." </p>
<p>"Go on," Jongin whispers. "Say it." </p>
<p>"Oh, um... bless us with your glory," Sehun says, attempting to put just as much bravado into his voice as he can manage. </p>
<p>Jongin looks up to the tree, and Sehun mirrors him yet again. Nothing happens. </p>
<p>"Hm," Jongin says. </p>
<p>"What?" </p>
<p>"I expect something should have happened by now," Jongin says. "After all, we're the only creatures to have ever stepped foot into these woods." He looks left and right as he lifts himself up from the forest floor. "Is there something else here? Something besides the tree?" </p>
<p>Sehun gets off his knees as well, dusting the dirt from his pants before wandering around the base of the tree as Jongin does the same in the opposite direction. They meet exactly halfway around the giant trunk, and Jongin scratches his scalp as he looks up into the sky. </p>
<p>"How peculiar," Jongin says. "Nothing but a tree." </p>
<p>"It is a very large tree," Sehun notes. </p>
<p>"Very smart, aren't you?" </p>
<p>"I was only saying," Sehun says. </p>
<p>Jongin pouts as he stares up at the tree, and Sehun follows behind him as they walk back around to the front. Sehun stares up at the face that's been carved into it, kind eyes and a large nose with a strong bridge, and a mouth that is open. Sehun jumps to look inside, but he is too short and he can't jump nearly high enough. Maybe the secret of the forest rests inside? </p>
<p>"I'll climb it," Sehun offers. </p>
<p>"No," Jongin says. "No point. We've come all this way for nothing." </p>
<p>"Certainly not," Sehun says. "There must be something." </p>
<p>"Some things in this world are difficult just for the sake of being difficult," Jongin says wistfully. "There are some missions and tasks that are hard for no reason. And it seems like this... this may have been one of them." </p>
<p>"No," Sehun says, refusing to believe it. "No, I'll climb it. I'll find out what's up at the top." </p>
<p>"There is nothing at the top. It's a tree." </p>
<p>"Maybe there's a gem," Sehun says. "A mystical, magical gem. Or a sword sticking out of it somewhere. Or perhaps a scroll with some ancient wisdom. There must be <em>something</em>." </p>
<p>"Are you deaf? Are you simply not listening? Not understanding? There is nothing. Nothing but the tree. We've come all this way for nothing." </p>
<p>"I'm going now," Sehun says.</p>
<p>He steps onto the protruding root only to hear a bellowing yawn from above.</p>
<p>The tree breathes with shuddering life, and Sehun startles as he looks upon its carved face, the peaceful, calm expression never really changing. He looks to Jongin, mouth open in shock. Sehun feels a little less novice seeing that. If something in this world can still surprise Jongin, then surely, Sehun is not so far behind.  </p>
<p>"Don't climb me," the tree says, a deep and powerful grumble afterward. </p>
<p>"O-Okay," Sehun says, and he takes several steps backward. "I won't." </p>
<p>"Thank you," it says, and after a moment, "Welcome to this place. It has been a while since I've had a visitor." </p>
<p>"B-But we are the only creatures to have come to this place," Sehun says. "Aren't we?" </p>
<p>The tree moves its mouth into a stuttering smile. "Long ago, there was a people before you. Even before him." It raises its eyes at Jongin. "Gods like him barely remember. Can you remember the others now, Jongin? When you were but a child?" </p>
<p>It takes a moment, but it comes all the same. </p>
<p>"O-Oh," Jongin says, as if only just finding the memory in his head, long forgotten. "M-My, it has been so long since I've thought of them..." </p>
<p>"Who were they?" </p>
<p>"The gods before these," the tree answers. "The gods who fell so that these ones could rise." </p>
<p>"But the world was born with these gods," Sehun says. "Wasn't it?" </p>
<p>"So their stories all tell," the tree says. "But there was a world before this one. A different world. They ruled that one. The world before that has since become the world between." </p>
<p>Sehun is shocked into silence, but Jongin only has more and more questions to offer. </p>
<p>"How did we get here?" Jongin asks. "What was the secret?" </p>
<p>"There is no secret," the tree answers. "The only secret is time."</p>
<p>"S-So it was only a matter of patience?" Jongin frowns. </p>
<p>"The moon saw you come here, and it went from light to dark to light again as you searched for this sacred place," the tree says. </p>
<p>"It's been a <em>moon</em> since we entered?" Sehun asks. </p>
<p>The tree laughs, and it reminds him of his childhood, the way his grandparents used to chuckle. Fatigued, but still so full of life. </p>
<p>"Time is like water here," the tree says. "It flows as it wants. It goes where it desires. You can try to guide it, you can think you own it, but it will always be free. It will always have a mind of its own, I fear."   </p>
<p>Sehun nods without really understanding, but he supposes that magic is meant to be that way. </p>
<p>"Let me get a good look at you, fisherboy. That's what they all call you, isn't it?" the tree asks.</p>
<p>"It is," Sehun nods.</p>
<p>"Then come into the light. Let me look upon you." Sehun nudges Jongin to the side gently with a smile. "There now. I can see you very well. These old eyes saw the birth of time. I was just a seedling then. Did you know that?" </p>
<p>"No," Sehun says, the awe leaking around the edges of his voice. "That's amazing." </p>
<p>"You think so?" the tree chuckles. "Good. I'm glad of it." It grumbles again, almost as if shaking the sleep from it. "Close your eyes now." </p>
<p>"W-Why?" Sehun asks. "Are you going to do something funny?" </p>
<p>"Yes, something very funny indeed," the tree says. "Close your eyes. You can trust in the trees." </p>
<p>Sehun closes his eyes, supposing that the great tree is right. He can trust in them. </p>
<p>He breathes in and breathes out in complete darkness, and it is a moment of pure calm, stillness and silence. And then, in the next moment or perhaps even the moment between moments, there is blinding color and screaming light. </p>
<p>With his eyes squeezed shut, Sehun can see all of time itself, all of the space glowing brightly in blues and greens, everything bleeding together in a pool. He can see himself in his mind, he can see the green of the moss, the leaves of each tree dripping with dew. It is a strange vision, made all the stranger by the fact that he can walk through it. He watches himself look up to the black night sky. </p>
<p>"Do you see it?" the tree asks, the voice echoing in Sehun's head. "The water of life?" </p>
<p>"I see it," Sehun whispers, but he doesn't see himself speak. "I see it, yes." </p>
<p>"Drink from the water," the tree says. "Bend your knee, and drink same as I did when I was young." </p>
<p>Sehun tells himself to kneel at the edge of the pool, crystalline waters swirling and shimmering with light. He cups his hands, and he lifts the cool sweet water to his lips before swallowing it down. It feels peculiar as it slips into his stomach. He can feel it gather within him. </p>
<p>"Ah, yes," the tree whispers. "You've done well." </p>
<p>"Thank you," Sehun says softly, and he watches himself stand. </p>
<p>"You have come so far now, have you not? You have seen worlds you would have never seen. You have done the impossible, and you have survived unsurvivable circumstances, haven't you?" </p>
<p>"Yes," Sehun says. "I have." </p>
<p>"The end of your journey is upon us now. Your heart is strong. Your mind is strong now. You have been made to survive this. To live on with your other. Is that what you wish?" </p>
<p>"It is," Sehun answers. "This is what I wish most of all." </p>
<p>"So it shall be," the tree says. "Your dreams, shrouded in darkness for so long... yes, they will come to light. They will sparkle with truth, so dazzling that some may not even be able to look upon them."</p>
<p>"Thank you," Sehun says. "Thank you." </p>
<p>"Your last step," the tree says. "Your final trial is the neverending search for wisdom and understanding, but you can find this and more within love. Remember this. You can find everything within love, within a love that is unbroken and golden." </p>
<p>"Yes," Sehun says, barely breathing as the beauty overtakes him. "Yes, you're right." </p>
<p>"Go, then," the tree says. "I am glad to have met you, fisherboy." Suddenly the vision is gone, and Sehun's eyes snap open to find the tree smiling at him. "I don't think this title will be suitable for you much longer. When it is gone, will you yearn for these days so far behind you?" </p>
<p>"No," Sehun says. "It was a step on the journey. I am glad to have walked this path, but it is not in my nature to head down a road twice." </p>
<p>The tree laughs, a fraught little thing that says something about the nature of the world, both good and bad, and Sehun bows his head as he steps to the side. Sehun notices the hopeful look streak across Jongin's face like a shooting star as he moves to take his spot in the sun. He glimmers there, awesome and proud, and Sehun looks at him in wonderment.</p>
<p>"You have come here in search of something," the tree says. "What is it that you seek?" </p>
<p>"Guidance," Jongin says. </p>
<p>The tree makes a noise of understanding, lips pressed together. </p>
<p>"A noble pursuit," the tree says. "Now close your eyes, and let me see inside." </p>
<p>Jongin closes his eyes, the look of calm settling over his lovely features. Sehun </p>
<p>"I see your heart," the tree says. "You desire wholeness. A fractured soul desires repair." </p>
<p>"I-It can be fixed?" Jongin whispers hopefully, and Sehun's heart falls for him. </p>
<p>How are they able to hide pain so easily? How are they able to look so whole when inside, they are barely holding themselves together? Jongin, so soft and sweet once you crack him open... Sehun wonders how long it would take him to see that side of him if they found themselves in any other circumstance. </p>
<p>"It will be," it says. "Soon." </p>
<p>"What can I do?" </p>
<p>"Wait," the tree says. "Haven't you figured it out by now? Patience, Jongin. You cannot leap into the future. You cannot make time nor people bend to your will. Allow the water to flow. Let the oceans rise. He will return to you." </p>
<p>"D-Don't get my hopes up," Jongin whispers, and even though he smiles, he brushes tears away from his eyes. </p>
<p>"You have held on all this time with hope, have you not?" the tree asks. "What are a few more moons to an endless soul? All along you have been learning. This, here and now, this will be your final test." </p>
<p>"Yes, all right," Jongin says. "I understand." </p>
<p>"Good," the tree says, and Jongin opens his eyes with a grin. "Now that you see the paths before you, I can send you on your way with the knowledge that joy will come to you if you allow it. With this, know that the path might be winding, shifting underfoot. Still, despite everything, the joy will come." </p>
<p>"Thank you," Sehun says. "Thank you, I—" </p>
<p>"We are blessed by your wisdom," Jongin says. "We will leave you to your rest." </p>
<p>"Yes, I think I'll indulge in this slumber," the tree says, and its eyes blink closed. "It has been many moons since I've last worked so hard. If you ever return, I will greet you pleasantly." </p>
<p>They smile at each other, and they walk to the edge of the center of the forest. </p>
<p>"Who was your sacred one?" Sehun asks softly, taking Jongin's hand in his. </p>
<p>"You know him already," Jongin smiles. "I think you'll see us together sooner rather than later." </p>
<p>"Junmyeon?" Sehun asks. </p>
<p>"What? No," Jongin scoffs. "Have you been paying attention at all?" </p>
<p>"I suppose not," Sehun says. </p>
<p>"Who else will you see?" Jongin says, raising his eyebrows like he intends to lead Sehun along. "Very shortly? The last of a great mission?</p>
<p>"K-Kyungsoo? It's Kyungsoo?" Sehun asks. </p>
<p>Jongin dons a look of fondness for a moment before he shakes it away. </p>
<p>"It matters not," Jongin says, aiming the smile off to the lost forest as he begins to walk Sehun further into the fog. "Besides, we are late." </p>
<p>"Late for what?" </p>
<p>"Your reunion with your <em>sacred one</em>," Jongin says, and he pulls Sehun firmly into the woods proper.</p>
<p>Just like that, they are twisting through space and time, walking out of the smoke and back to the beginning of the wood.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>Jongin leads him back to the cabin, and they share a drink in celebration. Though the trial was not <em>nearly</em> as physically or mentally straining as the rest, Sehun is glad to be through with it. He has some blisters on his feet, and he can't wait to return to the healing waters to see them fall away, new, unmarred skin being born within the pool.</p><p>Jongin goes to the root cellar behind the cabin to pull out a bottle of red-colored liquor, and Sehun sits at the table as Jongin pours a small glass full of it. </p>
<p>They tip their glasses against one another's to make a sweet song chime out before they sip the liquor down. It is sweet and pleasantly cold, tastes of forest fruit and honey. Sehun finds it refreshing, so refreshing that when Jongin pours him another glass, he takes it without question. </p>
<p>"I would like to offer you my thanks," Jongin says. </p>
<p>"For what? Doing my duty?" Sehun says. </p>
<p>"You could have chosen not to," Jongin says. </p>
<p>"After all this time and all I've done, I think if I had called it quits at the idea of walking through a forest, I and everyone else would call me mad," Sehun smiles. "Worry not. And offer no more of your thanks. It was what needed to be done." </p>
<p>Jongin nods to himself as he sips at his liquor, his lip stained berry red. They sit in strained silence until Sehun realizes that he is the one who wants to speak. </p>
<p>"Did you know what rested within the forest?" </p>
<p>Jongin meets his gaze. "What makes you think that?" </p>
<p>"You wanted the tree's wisdom, did you not?" Sehun asks. "You searched so long for this, and now... you have what you were looking for." </p>
<p>"And what is that?" Jongin asks. "Since you've been gifted with such wisdom. Since you've drunk from the waters of time." </p>
<p>And Sehun sits there as he tries to piece it all together in his head. Jongin and Kyungsoo, what must have happened to their love. Some kind of disruption, some divorce. He wonders how long ago it must have been... ages, long enough so that it passed into legend and song. He's never even heard stories of their love... it must have burned brightly but quickly. A dying star. </p>
<p>"Were you so desperate to know that you've waited long enough?" Sehun wonders. "That you've given him enough time?" </p>
<p>"Yes," Jongin says. "I am desperate to know these things." </p>
<p>"Why?" </p>
<p>"Why? Because I love him," Jongin says. "Because I never stopped loving him, not even for a moment. A-And yet, I was forced to give him up." </p>
<p>"Why else?" Jongin smiles sadly. "Because his love for me was broken." </p>
<p>"A-And you've waited all this time?" </p>
<p>"There is nothing for me to do besides wait," Jongin says. "What is broken can be repaired. So says the tree." </p>
<p>He lifts the bottle and pours them another shot. It goes down just as easily as all the rest, and Sehun lets the sweetness linger on his palate for just a second longer before he stands, letting Jongin follow. </p>
<p>"You know," Jongin says, reaching for Sehun's hand, "this has been a very enlightening journey for me." </p>
<p>"I'm glad," Sehun says. "Though I cannot take credit." </p>
<p>"No, of course not," Jongin says with a smile. "But it was nice to have someone by my side all the same." </p>
<p>He laces their fingers together without another word, and Sehun closes his eyes, relieved to know that the next time he lands upon the ground, he will have already begun to breathe in the water.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>They crash through the ocean, and Jongin breathes out bubbles.</p><p>"I will never get used to this feeling," he says, and his hair dances above his head. </p>
<p>Sehun smiles. "Visit more often, then. I'm sure that with more time, you will find the feeling as charming as I do." </p>
<p>"As you say, fisherboy," Jongin smiles. "I think, perhaps, our story is not entirely at its end." </p>
<p>"Then I will look forward to seeing you once more, your grace," Sehun says with a gentle bow, and by the time he has raised himself back up straight, Jongin is gone, disappeared into the ocean. </p>
<p>It is a dark blue night, and the castle and the surrounding area waver with their seaweed in the glimmering deep. Sehun wanders through the quiet, suddenly sapped of all his energy as he stumbles through the familiar halls back to Junmyeon's chamber. There are a few still standing guard, even at this middle hour, and he nods at them as he opens the door softly, carefully. </p>
<p>Junmyeon is asleep in his bed, the rich colors looking all the richer in the dim, dark light. Sehun creeps forward as he goes to slip into the pool on the opposite side of the room, but when he strips himself of his shirt, he finds Junmyeon sitting up in his bed, rubbing at his eyes with a mess of hair sticking everywhere. </p>
<p>"You did not think to wake me?" Junmyeon asks. "How could you?" </p>
<p>"A mistake I will never make again, my love," Sehun says. "I only meant to bathe before I came to bed." </p>
<p>Junmyeon throws the sheets back, and they ripple through the water in a wave. He stands, shrugs his clothes from his body. He is pale in the moonlight as it moves through the water, and Sehun clings fruitlessly to his control as Junmyeon approaches. </p>
<p>"What is it, lover?" Junmyeon asks, and he puts himself against Sehun's body wetly. "Struck dumb by the sight of me after so long?" </p>
<p>"Always," Sehun whispers. "Your beauty astounds." </p>
<p>"Always so clever with this mouth," Junmyeon whispers, and he brushes his thumb against Sehun's bottom lip. "Get into the water. Let me wash you clean once more." </p>
<p>Sehun slips his pants down his legs, bag clattering to the floor before he steps into the pool. He moans in relief as the blisters mend. He reaches down to scrub at the skin, and just like that, he is made new. </p>
<p>"Is it enough?" Junmyeon wonders. "Are you in need of a healer?" </p>
<p>"No, no," Sehun says. "Just this. Just you." </p>
<p>"Then you shall have me," Junmyeon whispers, and he lowers himself into the water alongside Sehun.</p>
<p>They come together like that, dripping in impossible water, and Sehun has never been so happy to be home. He kisses Junmyeon easily, a hand at the nape of Junmyeon's neck, and Junmyeon pulls away with a moan. </p>
<p>"I've thought of you so much," Junmyeon says. "Couldn't focus on a thing." </p>
<p>"I am glad to know it," Sehun whispers. "Though I was kept busy, you always stay with me. With every movement. With every thought." </p>
<p>"Was it dangerous?" Junmyeon asks. "Was it a challenge?" </p>
<p>"We walked through Materria," Sehun says. </p>
<p>"The lost forest?" </p>
<p>"We saw the great tree," Sehun says. </p>
<p>"Oh," Junmyeon says, and he buries his face in Sehun's neck. "Oh, you have been so many places now." </p>
<p>"It spoke to me," Sehun whispers, "do you want to know what it said?" </p>
<p>"What did it say?" Junmyeon wonders. </p>
<p>"That these dreams of mine will come to light," Sehun says, and he brushes his fingers through Junmyeon's hair. "That this journey is at its end, and that yes, I will have my forever with you. That it will be an unbroken ring of gold." </p>
<p>"Yes," Junmyeon says, "<em>yes</em>, my love."  </p>
<p>"Will you make it so? Will you join me in this endless love?" </p>
<p>With this, he pulls backward, staring into Sehun's eyes. He kisses Sehun with such ardor, such passion, that Sehun feels himself filling on it. A feast for his senses, for his heart. He has yearned, he has longed for this love, and all the trials, that which has occupied his mind for so long... it will all be over soon. He will not retread these roads. He will cherish this time for what it is, but he won't ever desire to return to it. </p>
<p>"Your hand will always stay in mine," Junmyeon says. "As your heart will always reside within my own." </p>
<p>"Your sweet words, they will carry me through this last trial," Sehun whispers. "And no matter how long it takes, no matter what still rests before me... it is no match for my love for you. My dedication to seeing this through to the end." </p>
<p>"You must go quickly," Junmyeon says helplessly, "because as the days pass, as they grow thin in the middle... I fear I cannot let you leave for very much longer. Each time you go, I miss you more. Each time you're away, I am plagued with such terrible thoughts." </p>
<p>"What thoughts?" Sehun asks, and he kisses Junmyeon's cheek, along the edge of his jaw. "Tell me, lover. My lord. God of all water." </p>
<p>"In the beginning, I did not see you for what you were," Junmyeon says. "I did not appreciate you as equal." </p>
<p>"Junmyeon," Sehun laughs, burying a kiss to the crook of his neck. </p>
<p>"It isn't funny," Junmyeon says desperately, and he clings to Sehun's neck as they slip through the water. "I acted without honor, without respect for you. A-And I have never regretted anything more. Never in my whole life. I wish I could spin the sun backward so that I could change the script of our days together. Treat you as you deserve to be treated. Apologize for the way I once acted." </p>
<p>"My love," Sehun whispers, "this is apology enough." </p>
<p>"No," Junmyeon says. "I will spend my whole life in service to you. I will spend our life repaying this debt." </p>
<p>Sehun leans up to look into his eyes, and he expects to see him full of laughter, full of life. Instead, he finds him painted with sorrow. It's funny. Sehun can barely remember such a feeling. </p>
<p>"Once, I promised my life in service to you," Sehun says. "And so now, I find it quite pleasing that we are able to serve each other." </p>
<p>A smile splits Junmyeon's beautiful face, and Sehun is forced to kiss him quickly, passionately. It's been too long. Soon, he'll never have to wait again. Soon, it will be every morning and every night and whenever they desire it. </p>
<p>"It is very nice when you put it that way," Junmyeon says. "A life of service to the other." </p>
<p>"A life spent in love," Sehun says. "What could be better than this world we've created for each other?" </p>
<p>"Nothing. And I mean it with my soul. With everything that I am," Junmyeon says, and he pulls Sehun into another kiss, another tying to that one, and on and on until it made no sense to keep count any longer.<br/><br/></p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>just like that, we will soon be at our last trial :') </p>
<p>i know this trial was not as, um, exciting as the previous ones, but that's why they call it falling action baby! still..... me adding some kaisoo to this fic at the eleventh hour is like my hail mary to save the stupid story LOL speaking of football fuck tom brady. not that anyone reading this will care what i think of tom brady, but fuck him anyway. </p>
<p>hope you enjoyed, folks! have a good week and don't forget to eat something delicious!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. the rebuilding of petralcius, part one</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Junmyeon walks with him in the morning, this final journey before him growing larger by the minute. If there is some danger he must surmount, he is sure that it will be bigger than all the rest. Magnified under the combined gaze of the gods he is meant to join. </p><p>Their hands are laced together as they swim towards Aurora Falls, the secret place that streaks with iridescent, coruscating light. They stand there, bathed in that heavenly light. It feels like such a long time ago that they first came here, so far away in Sehun’s memory that it is rimmed with hazy gold. </p><p>He was nothing more than a bet back then, and still, Junmyeon brought him to the most magnificent places, showed him all the wonders of his kingdom. It wasn’t enough to convince Sehun to live here for the rest of his natural-born life; it was enough to make him want it for much, much longer. </p><p>As they embrace in the warmth, lined with gold, orange, and violet light, Sehun thinks back to the resolve he displayed. How joyful he is that he persevered, that he was not tempted into Junmyeon’s trap. It would have been a beautiful life, no doubt, but he would have mourned for the life cut short. He was meant for more simply because he chose to be meant for it. He held on. He demanded, and so it came. </p><p>“Once more,” Junmyeon says happily, and he buries his face into the crook of Sehun’s neck. “This is the very last time that I am forced to send you away.” </p><p>“A very interesting way to put it,” Sehun says. </p><p>“What’s so interesting about it?” </p><p>“Even now, you say it is <em>you</em> who sends <em>me</em>,” Sehun laughs, and he squeezes his arms tightly around Junmyeon’s middle. “Is it not <em>me</em> who leaves <em>you</em>?” </p><p>Junmyeon withdraws, staring into Sehun’s eyes. </p><p>“You plan to incur my wrath this morning, of all mornings?” he whispers, a hint of amusement written across his lips. </p><p>Sehun smiles, and he pulls Junmyeon into a kiss. For all the bickering, for all the frantic volleying of affection that must seem so sickening to everyone else… Sehun has never felt more at peace with his station in life. Never felt better than this moment. </p><p>“Do it well,” Junmyeon whispers, “whatever it is, whatever he asks of you, make sure to do it well. I will worry over you every sun and every moon, so please, if there is any luck left in you, make sure to spend it now. You'll have no need for it once you're through.” </p><p>“I will, my love,” Sehun says, and he kisses him gently, the beginning of the goodbye.<br/>
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</div><p>They meet Kyungsoo on the shore, and he is fiddling with his robe’s sleeve. He looks incredibly out of place, here on the beach, though he is barefoot and the robe looks to be made of a sandsilk. He <em>should</em> fit here. He should look just the part. His hair is long enough to tuck behind his ears, his clothes rustle in the sea wind… and yet there is a discomfort about him.</p><p>“Hello,” he says simply. “Are you ready?” </p><p>“As ready as a man can be,” Sehun says, and he offers Kyungsoo his hand. </p><p>Kyungsoo stares down at it for a fraught moment before putting his hand in Sehun’s, giving it a shake. </p><p>Sehun looks back at Junmyeon, and Junmyeon shrugs his shoulders helplessly as if to say <em>strange birds come from strange lands. What can you expect?</em></p><p>“Shall we, um, shall we jump?” Sehun asks. </p><p>“We’re going to walk,” Kyungsoo says, and he gives Sehun a small smile. “Is that all right with you?” </p><p>“Oh. Yes, I suppose it is okay with me.” </p><p>“Well, good.” Kyungsoo nods towards Junmyeon. “If you’d like to say another goodbye…” and he turns his back helpfully. </p><p>Sehun turns to Junmyeon, and he gives him a final quick kiss. “I’ll return to you before you even know I’ve gone.” </p><p>“You feel so far away even now,” Junmyeon smiles sadly. “And I’m still staring at you.” </p><p>“Don’t be sweet to me,” Sehun says, and he bumps his forehead against Junmyeon’s. “It will make me miss you even more desperately.” </p><p>Junmyeon makes a frustrated noise before taking Sehun’s face in his hands, kissing the daylight out of the sky. By the time he is finished, he disappears into a cloud of smoke, and Sehun waves it away, coughing. </p><p>“Right then,” Kyungsoo says, and Sehun whips around to face him. He wears a sunny, calm smile. “Should we away?” </p><p>“I suppose we should,” Sehun says, and he holds onto the strap of his bag as he follows Kyungsoo away from the shoreline. </p><p>They turn sharply to the west as soon as the road is underfoot, and they do so amidst silence. Sehun studies Kyungsoo from behind as he leads them off into the world, not questioning where Kyungsoo might be taking him. Maybe he should ask. He should certainly ask. </p><p>“Where are we going?” </p><p>“Petralcius,” Kyungsoo answers. </p><p>“The ruined temple?” Sehun asks. </p><p>“The same.” </p><p>His tone is final, and Sehun struggles to find his voice again. He doesn’t speak again for the better part of an hour, the sun shifting above them as they walk. Petralcius is rather far from this part of the world, Sehun knows. He looks down at his sandals. He should have worn better shoes. </p><p>Sehun watches the way Kyungsoo moves, and he is immediately brought back to Jongin. They shared something precious, a love that lives on in Jongin’s heart to this very day. Tilting his head to the side as they trek farther and farther into the unknown, Sehun wonders what it is that drew Jongin to him. He is handsome, to be sure, a face well-made for serious declarations and earnestness. Yes, the more Sehun looks at him, the more he can understand it. </p><p>“What is it?” Kyungsoo asks a bit later. Sehun makes a noise of confusion. “You have a question for me?” </p><p>“What makes you say that?” Sehun asks. </p><p>“You have been quiet,” Kyungsoo says. “Too quiet.” </p><p>“Maybe I am a naturally quiet individual.” </p><p>“Are you?” </p><p>“Sometimes,” Sehun says. “It depends.” </p><p>“We can talk, if you like,” Kyungsoo says. </p><p>“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” </p><p>Kyungsoo looks back at Sehun with a simple smile. “That’s nice of you.” He looks back in the direction they’re walking, unperturbed. “I think I would like to talk about many things with you, Sehun. We share a great many things in common, after all.” Sehun frowns, trying to figure out what exactly they share before Kyungsoo looks at him again. “Well?” </p><p>“Why walk?” he blurts out. </p><p>Kyungsoo laughs again, that full-hearted guffaw that makes Sehun smile. </p><p>“Why not?” Kyungsoo asks. “It’s been a while since I had a good walk.” </p><p>“Though it is nice to travel this way every once in a while, I imagine I too would use the leaping if I had the ability,” Sehun reasons. </p><p>“Oh, that power does not belong to me,” Kyungsoo says softly. “Not anymore.”</p><p>“When did it disappear?” </p><p>“I sent it away,” Kyungsoo says. “A while ago. A year ago, I suppose.” </p><p>“Why?” </p><p>“Because it reminded me of the past,” Kyungsoo says. “And sometimes the past can hurt too greatly.” </p><p>“Oh,” Sehun says with a frown. “I’m sorry.” </p><p>“There is nothing to apologize for,” Kyungsoo says easily. “I told you you could talk to me about what you desired to. These things can’t harm me now.” </p><p><em>If they can’t harm you, then why would you rid yourself of such a thing? If it can’t harm you, then what of your past, a past which can hurt you so greatly even now?</em> </p><p>Sehun keeps his mouth shut for the rest of the evening, and when Kyungsoo pulls them to a stop under the starry blue sky, Sehun is glad of it. They rest next to the amber fire, the wavering fields of green looking black in the evening.<br/>
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</div><p>Kyungsoo does not offer much conversation in their days along the road, but Sehun finds a certain comfort in that. His life was very quiet when it all began, and now, he has another taste of that quiet. Did he always think so much? Were his thoughts always this loud? He cannot believe it.</p><p>They pass by a crystal clear lake, and they stop for a meal. Sehun manages to catch a couple of fish with his hands, and Kyungsoo nods appreciatively before expertly cleaning and gutting them, salting and roasting them over the open fire.  It has been a while since he had a meal so simple, and the sweet, savory taste reminds him of home. Of his true home. His family. His dog long gone. </p><p>Once upon a time, there were only three things he cared so much about. Now the world unfurls around him, much grander than he could have ever imagined. </p><p>They walk again, and Sehun is astounded by the beauty of the countryside. The sun sets around them in brilliant red and gold, and he sees the light glint along Kyungsoo’s crown, his hair going auburn in the dying day. They make camp just as the sun dips below the horizon line, and he lights the fire as Kyungsoo hums a familiar song. It is a song Sehun remembers from when he was but a boy. It strikes him as funny, this immortal being knowing a nursery rhyme meant for children. </p><p>Sehun closes his eyes that night under the bright night sky, and he wakes feeling just as well as the day before.<br/>
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</div><p>It takes longer than Sehun hoped. He doesn’t mind it too much, but for some strange reason, it feels as though time is ticking away. Still, Kyungsoo is a good traveling partner. He engages when he desires it, lets the silence live on when he thinks it proper. Sehun likes that about him.</p><p>The scenery changes around day five of walking, and the air goes from salty to sweet. They walk past orchards and farmlands, and Kyungsoo looks back wryly as Sehun plucks a few apples from the trees. He doesn’t say anything, so Sehun sticks them into his bag under the impression that, at some point, he will be able to repay the small debt. </p><p>“How much longer, I wonder,” Sehun says because while he does not want to come off as a complainer, he had assumed the trip would be a bit shorter than it is stretching out to become. </p><p>“A few more days, I expect,” Kyungsoo says. “Have you ever visited?”</p><p>“No, your grace,” Sehun says. </p><p>“You don’t have to call me that.” </p><p>“All right,” Sehun says. “How shall I call you?” </p><p>“Kyungsoo,” he says as though it is obvious. Sehun nods in understanding. “You will enjoy it.” </p><p>“What makes you say that?” </p><p>“It is very beautiful there,” Kyungsoo says. “The cliffsides. The moorland.” He smiles as if only in reverie. “The hills are covered in jinblooms. Even in the night, they seem to glow yellow.” He smirks. “The first men to come across the hills, they thought the land was made of pure gold.” He looks at Sehun, giving him that soft, charming smile. “Did you know that wild horses roam those lands?” </p><p>“Wild horses?” </p><p>“Never tamed,” Kyungsoo says wistfully. “Pure.” </p><p>“It sounds magnificent,” Sehun says. “I cannot wait to see it.” </p><p>“It will not be much longer,” Kyungsoo says. “Just a few more days, I should think.” </p><p>So Sehun puts his head down and continues to walk, eager to see the majesty and wonder of a new place. He’ll be so busy with Junmyeon soon, who knows the next time he’ll get the chance?<br/>
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</div><p>Sure enough, they wake on the tenth morning and walk for the better part of the afternoon, Sehun feeling every bit as though they are about to see something unlike any other. In the golden hour, Kyungsoo nudges Sehun with his elbow. Sehun jolts.</p><p>“There,” Kyungsoo says. “Do you see it?” </p><p>Sehun covers his brow with the visor of his hand to shield his eyes from the sun as he looks out over the rolling hillside. </p><p>In the distance, brighter than any metal, the hills of Petralcius shine. Nearly blinded by the light, Sehun looks away. Kyungsoo laughs, gently bumping into Sehun with his shoulder. </p><p>“Come now, we’re nearly there.” </p><p>Sehun follows Kyungsoo as they scale the hillsides, approaching the ruined temple that once belonged to this place. He does not know when the destruction happened, only that it has been in this condition for as long as Sehun has been alive. Even in its ruin, it is magnificent. As he walks closer, he is overwhelmed by the feeling that so much history has passed underneath his feet without him even noticing. </p><p>Stepping onto the stone floor, he stares down at the peat beginning to creep through the gaps. He touches one of the pillars that has yet to fall, amazed at the structure. The strength of the build. What kind of calamity must have befallen this place to bring it so low? </p><p>“Welcome,” Kyungsoo says. </p><p>“Thank you,” Sehun says, and he wheels around to stare out over the glorious fields of wavering gold flowers, brought nearly to tears at the sight of them in the late afternoon light. “Thank you for showing me this place.” </p><p>“You do not need to thank me,” Kyungsoo smiles. “After all, I brought you here for a reason.” </p><p>Sehun faces him properly, and he is astounded by the beauty of him in the warmth. </p><p>“Yes,” Sehun says. “I suppose now I must know the task set before me.” </p><p>Kyungsoo grins, looks off before letting the smile die somewhere along the sloping hills. He faces Sehun again with his signature look, simple gaze, a careful, guarded expression. </p><p>“Our task is this,” Kyungsoo says, “you are to help me rebuild this place.” </p><p>“The temple?” </p><p>“Yes,” Kyungsoo smiles, and he looks over the ruins. “The ruined temple of Petralcius will rise.” </p><p>“Well, that won’t be too hard, will it?” Sehun wonders, scratching at his head. “You control the earth. It will take, what, a sun up? Two suns?” Kyungsoo laughs, a guffaw like he really thinks Sehun is funny. Under normal circumstances, Sehun would find that very complimentary. However, Sehun wasn’t trying to be amusing, so instead, he furrows his brow. “What’s so funny?” </p><p>“We will not be using my power,” Kyungsoo says. “We will build it from the ground up.” </p><p>“W-Why?” Sehun asks. “Why would we do such a thing when it would be so easy for you to simply, I don’t know, snap your fingers?” </p><p>Kyungsoo shrugs. “This is the way of things. This is the task that I have chosen for you.” He cocks his head to the side, raising a heavy brow. “Do you deny me this?” </p><p>“No, no,” Sehun grumbles. “Of course not.” </p><p>“It would be a very foolish thing, of course,” Kyungsoo smiles softly. “To end your journey here without anything to show for it.” </p><p>Kyungsoo is correct, and even so, Sehun looks around, regretful. </p><p>“Gods,” Sehun says, and he looks out over the field of crumbling rock, “this will take <em>forever</em>.” </p><p>“It is very fortunate you will have all the time in the world once it’s finished then, isn’t it?” </p><p>Sehun rolls his eyes, and he sticks out his hand. Kyungsoo stares down at the offering, back up at Sehun with a question upon his face. </p><p>“It is a sign of friendship,” Sehun says. “Will you take it?” </p><p>Kyungsoo seems to consider it quickly before sticking out his own hand, slapping it against Sehun’s. Sehun laughs, and Kyungsoo raises his brows. </p><p>“Did I do it incorrectly?” </p><p>“No,” Sehun says. “You did it exactly right, I think.”<br/>
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</div><p>Sehun wakes with the sun, and he stretches uncomfortably. He has gotten used to plush beds, or at the very least, beds of any sort. Sleeping on the hillside is no great comfort to him, and waking so early... it is no comfort to him either.</p><p>Rubbing at his eyes, he looks around. The night before, they had rested early so as to rise early. Kyungsoo had said the work would begin as soon as Sehun rose. He tries to find Kyungsoo, finding him by the nearby firepit. </p><p>He has his back to Sehun, a small cook tool in his hand. He pokes into a pot gingerly lifted over the open flames. Sehun gets up, sits alongside him. </p><p>"You must eat well so you can complete your task," Kyungsoo says, and Sehun looks down at the porridge bubbling away in the pot. It smells sweetly of cinnamon and apple, and Sehun inhales, sighing out with pleasure. "Are you hungry?" </p><p>"After many days and nights of fish, yes, I am very hungry for such a meal," Sehun smiles. "Thank you." </p><p>"It was nothing," Kyungsoo says, and he pours Sehun a bowl to match his own. </p><p>They eat at dawn, and once they've finished, Kyungsoo shows Sehun a weathered scroll, unraveling it along the jagged rock of a broken pillar. </p><p>"Here are the plans for the temple," Kyungsoo says. "As you can see, there is a great deal of work before us." </p><p>"I've never built anything such as this," Sehun warns. "So... so if you wish to order me around, that's all well and good, but—"</p><p>"I wish to order you around," Kyungsoo says happily. "I had no idea it would be so simple to get you to agree." </p><p>Sehun barks out a short laugh, and he hangs his head. "I am at your mercy, of course." </p><p>"Then let's make quick work of it," Kyungsoo encourages. "First, we must gather our supplies." </p><p>And so the first day is spent simply walking over the moorland towards the great stone mountains. There is a place there, an old place that looks as if it has not seen anyone in many, many years. Kyungsoo steps inside and Sehun looks around the small workshop as he follows. There is a great oven, buckets and pickaxes and shovels, tools of all kinds. </p><p>That morning, Kyungsoo shows Sehun how they'll gather the quicklime for the mortar, how to dig clay from the earth. He explains the method of making the bricks in the kiln, and Sehun tires just listening to him talk. </p><p>By the end of the day, they've done nothing more than discuss the way they'll go about things, but Sehun still lies there, exhausted when everything is through.<br/>
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</div><p>Their second morning, they begin to dig for clay. They fill large wheelbarrows full of it, rust-colored and left the foot of the mountains. Kyungsoo explains that a great river once flowed through these lands.</p><p>"It's since dried," Kyungsoo says, gesturing to the riverless land, "obviously." </p><p>"I see." </p><p>"Perhaps one day, these lands will see her water again," Kyungsoo says wistfully. "One day." </p><p>Sehun only does as he's bid, offering no words on the matter. He had assumed that their task would be much like the journey to get here, but sooner rather than later, Kyungsoo begins to ask him questions about his life. Sehun has no problem answering, of course, but it does come as quite a shock. </p><p>"I lived a simple life before this one," Sehun answers, lifting his shovel and depositing his clay soil into the wheelbarrow. "Much has changed." </p><p>"I expect so," Kyungsoo says simply. "Once you step into this world, everything changes, I fear." </p><p>He sounds distant whenever Sehun brings up his mortal life, the transition to immortal, and Sehun wonders why. Can a god long for mortality? Is such a thing even possible? </p><p>"I embrace the change," Sehun says. "Embracing humanity is embracing change." </p><p>Kyungsoo nods as if understanding him for the first time, and there is where the conversation ends.<br/>
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</div><p>Once they have harvested enough and Sehun's hands are covered in thick callouses, they grind the clay into dust in the workshop. Sehun watches as Kyungsoo works until he's got an idea of what he's doing. Most oftentimes, he does not have a clue.</p><p>Kyungsoo grabs a mortar and pestle from the shelf along the wall, scooping some of the clay into his mortar with a small hand shovel. He sits on his stool, and Sehun watches with interest. </p><p>"I have a question," he says. </p><p>"All right," Sehun says. </p><p>“How will your life shift once you have shed your mortality?” Kyungsoo asks. “What will you do once your humanity is gone and you have no tasks left to fulfill?” </p><p>“I-I imagine I will return to Suho’s kingdom,” Sehun says. “Reside there.” </p><p>“What of your family?” Kyungsoo asks. “Will you return to them?” </p><p>“I-I don’t know,” Sehun says. “I have dreamt of bringing them to the bottom of the sea along with me, but… I do not know how they will respond to the change I’ve made.” </p><p>“You cannot know until you show them,” Kyungsoo says, and he grinds the clay into powder, gesturing for Sehun to come in behind him to observe. Sehun watches eagerly, ready to learn, and Kyungsoo gives him a smile. "Just like that. Just as I do." </p><p>Sehun stays quiet, watching him work, but then, Kyungsoo looks at him expectantly. </p><p>"Are you bothered by the idea of your family knowing?" Kyungsoo asks. "Knowing what you've been doing these moons away?" </p><p>“I-It has troubled me these past weeks,” Sehun says. “I confess, early on, I was so focused on my mission, so conflicted by my pursuit that I did not have much time to think about it, but lately—” </p><p>“Lately, it’s all that you can think about,” Kyungsoo says, and he stands, pouring his powdered clay into the bucket with all the rest, adding more clay into his bowl to be ground. “Because your mortal life is running out. And soon, you will be forced to reconcile these three. Past, present, and neverending future.” </p><p>“I should have a conversation with Junmyeon,” Sehun says, hurriedly correcting himself. “Suho.” </p><p>“Yes,” Kyungsoo smiles. “Of course.” </p><p>“I worry.” </p><p>“Why do you worry?”</p><p>“I’m not sure how he will feel,” Sehun says. “How it will affect him knowing that there are people I wish to bring along now.” </p><p>“You must ask,” Kyungsoo says. “You must have the conversation.” </p><p>“I only… truthfully, I never get around to it.” </p><p>“Why not?” Sehun clears his throat, and a smile breaks across Kyungsoo’s face. “Ah. I see. Do you put off all important discussions in favor of indulging in sins of the flesh?”</p><p>“It is our way,” Sehun smiles. </p><p>“He loves you,” Kyungsoo says with certainty.  “He will understand how you feel. Surely he offered you some such deal in the past? Why would he rescind such an offer?” </p><p>Sehun shrugs. “Circumstances change. Feelings change.” </p><p>“There is much truth in your words,” Kyungsoo nods. “His feelings, however… it is not likely.” </p><p>“Do you know him better than I?” Sehun laughs. “His feelings change—” </p><p>“Like the water?” Kyungsoo supplants. “Foolish boy. There is nothing steadier than the water. What was here when the world was new? What still remains now that she has grown old? The water, and nothing else. The tides, they come and they go. Steadfast and true.” Kyungsoo grins at him. “You know nothing of the water, little fish.” </p><p>“I suppose there is still much to learn, even after all this time.” </p><p>“Always,” Kyungsoo answers. “If there wasn’t, there would be no point in living.” </p><p>"I... I suppose you are right," Sehun answers. </p><p>"I am," Kyungsoo smiles. He nods down to his bowl of clay. "Do you think you've studied long enough now?" </p><p>"I think I have," Sehun says. </p><p>Kyungsoo points towards another of the mortars resting along the shelf on the wall. "Hurry along then. There is much work to be done, and the day is long before us." </p><p>Sehun busies himself with the work for a moment, but he turns to Kyungsoo suddenly, smiling at him. </p><p>"What is it?" Kyungsoo asks, a subtle grin on his face. "You find brick-making that amusing?"</p><p>"I was only thinking that, well, to be honest with you, Jongin and I had very similar conversations," Sehun says. "Isn't that funny?" </p><p>Kyungsoo goes very quiet, only highlighted by the short answer. "Very funny, indeed." </p><p>"If it is not too much for me to ask... what transpired between the two of you?" Sehun asks. </p><p>"It's too much to ask," Kyungsoo says. </p><p>"Oh. All right." </p><p>They go back to work, and Sehun's stomach twists. He hadn't meant to pry, only that... Jongin seemed so sick with love. He thought perhaps he could—</p><p>"A story for another day," Kyungsoo says with a deep sigh. Then, just like that, he turns to Sehun with a smile. The way he is able to shift like that reminds Sehun of Jongin. "Come. We might be able to fire the first batch today and see the quality of the work we've done." </p><p>Sehun finds it hard to argue with him, his commanding voice holding so much sway over Sehun that it even surprises Sehun. </p><p>Another day, he promises himself. </p><p>Another day, Kyungsoo's reckoning will come. Sehun will be at the front of it. He makes the pledge between him and his god. Himself.<br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>did i look up how the romans made bricks? of course i did. I'm insane. </p><p>anyway thanks for reading, i hope you enjoyed. i love kyungsoo, he's the best. bye!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. the rebuilding of petralcius, part two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sehun wakes with the sun, wakes with a groan. He would rather go back to freezing his balls off in the north, rather run from the wrath of the fire mountain than wake up with the sun again. Anything would be better than this hellish obligation. </p>
<p>"Rise and shine," Kyungsoo says flatly, and Sehun ruffles his hair inelegantly unhappily, as he goes for breakfast. </p>
<p>The porridge has not yet lost its appeal, warm and sweet and spiced well, but Gods, Sehun could do with a hot bath, maybe one that's been spiked with lavender oil and salt. He closes his eyes and dreams of it as Kyungsoo laughs. </p>
<p>"You're not a morning person, I've gathered," he says. </p>
<p>"No, I am not," Sehun answers. </p>
<p>"Well, neither am I," Kyungsoo says, "but there are only so many hours in a day, and the quicker we get to work, the quicker you can return to your beloved." </p>
<p>Sehun nods, and he finishes his meal. Kyungsoo is right, of course, but that does not make the truth any more palatable, doesn't make it any easier to sink into the days of work. </p>
<p>They mix clay with water and bake bricks from dawn until dusk. The workshop gets incredibly hot when the kiln is firing. He would hope to find respite outdoors, but there is very little peace. He moves the cooled bricks from the workshop back to the temple, stacking them near the edge of the build sit. He wipes the sweat away; it's sweltering either way.  </p>
<p>Each day is patently the same, nothing changing except for their conversations. In that, Sehun can find some solace, a little comfort. He thinks he would go crazy if it weren't for their discussions. </p>
<p>"Which was your least favorite?" Kyungsoo asks, raising a brow like he is genuinely interested in Sehun's answer. </p>
<p>"I am inclined to say this one," Sehun says, using the large spatula to retrieve the recently fired bricks from the kiln, depositing them nearby to cool until they are ready to be moved. </p>
<p>"Oh, you don't mean that, do you?" Kyungsoo asks with a laugh. </p>
<p>Sehun shrugs with a smile. "It isn't so bad. More than anything, it is—" </p>
<p>"The time of it," Kyungsoo finishes. </p>
<p>"Yes, the time," Sehun says. "It has already been two weeks, has it not?" </p>
<p>"I think it will be many more before we are through," Kyungsoo says and when Sehun looks at him, he smiles. "What?" </p>
<p>"You are cruel," Sehun says. "Cruel and unusual." </p>
<p>"I have heard that quite often if you'd believe." </p>
<p>"I would," Sehun says, and it makes Kyungsoo giggle. </p>
<p>They go back to work, firing bricks, letting them cool, and transporting them, doing it all over again until the day is heavy and old. He feels quite heavy and old himself when he lays his body down at night, but by the morning, he feels no younger, nor any lighter.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>He watches Kyungsoo mix the clay powder and water with careful hands, and he wonders. What kind of situations led him to this moment? What dreams and what nightmares? What kind of things led him to such insane actions, and what kind of person would drag an innocent like Sehun into such insanity? Was his relationship with Jongin truly so terrible that it drove him to such things?</p><p>"You're awfully quiet today," Kyungsoo accuses softly, and he looks up from his work to smile at Sehun. </p>
<p>Wiping his brow, Sehun smiles back. "I was just thinking about Jongin, I suppose." </p>
<p>There is quiet, quiet that stretches on, so Sehun naturally assumes that the conversation will end there. He goes back to work, opening the door of the kiln to check the progress off the bricks. </p>
<p>"Jongin is a good man," Kyungsoo answers after a while, and Sehun turns back around to face him. "Good and true." </p>
<p>"And yet, you fell out of love with him," Sehun says, surprised he got an answer at all. </p>
<p>"It is much more complicated than that." </p>
<p>"How so?" </p>
<p>"It's not for you to concern yourself with." </p>
<p>"Why not?" Sehun asks defiantly. "You have concerned yourself with me, asked me all about my life, and stuck your nose into <em>my</em> business. Why is this any different? Why am <em>I</em> not permitted to concern myself with <em>you</em>?" </p>
<p>Kyungsoo squints angrily at him for a moment before the crinkle between his brows eases. </p>
<p>"I suppose you discussed our relationship at length while wandering through the lost wood," he says. </p>
<p>"Not at length," Sehun clarifies. "Just discussed normally." </p>
<p>"I shudder to think what he might have said about me," Kyungsoo says. "What kind of things he must have imparted upon you..." </p>
<p>"Do you think so poorly of him?" Sehun asks. </p>
<p>"No, it is he who thinks so poorly of me," Kyungsoo says. "That is the reason our love was irreparably broken, Sehun. Once trust has been broken, love follows in those footsteps." </p>
<p>Sehun bites his lip between his teeth trying to figure out how to proceed. There is so much that he still does not know about the intricacies of their relationship, and yet it seems like such a waste not to tell Kyungsoo how Jongin truly feels. </p>
<p>"He had nothing but kind words for you," Sehun tells him softly. "Nothing but love for you. Nothing but the most beautiful things to say." </p>
<p>Kyungsoo snorts. "Ah. I see." </p>
<p>"What?" </p>
<p>"He's convinced himself that he loves me again," Kyungsoo says. "It happens quite frequently, to tell you the truth." </p>
<p>"O-Oh," Sehun says. "I thought that you had been divorced for—" </p>
<p>"All these years," Kyungsoo says. "Yes, and every once in a while, he'll remember how it felt to be in love, and he'll walk himself back into this mindset that... that we are meant for each other. Sacred to the other." </p>
<p>Sehun frowns. "What makes you think he is not being true?" </p>
<p>"He does not trust me," Kyungsoo says. "And so he cannot love me." </p>
<p>Sehun can't think of anything smart to say to that because while a lack of trust wouldn't mean that he could find himself infatuated with another person against his better judgment, love? Love demands trust like a sacrifice the way a knife demands blood from flesh. </p>
<p>"Is that enough for today, then?" Kyungsoo asks, and Sehun looks at him, worried. "Oh, do not mind. All is well." </p>
<p>"All does not feel well," Sehun says. "It feels as though you are cross with me for bringing it up." </p>
<p>"A projection of your own design," Kyungsoo says simply, and he points to the kiln. "Hurry along now. We're not even halfway there." </p>
<p>Sehun groans, and it makes Kyungsoo laugh. That alone should be enough to splinter the tension cleanly in twain, but Sehun holds onto the conversation in his heart, unable to let it go. Why would Jongin lose trust in Kyungsoo? What might he have done to warrant such an action? Or what might Jongin have projected onto Kyungsoo to feel it break apart in his hands like warm, wet sand?<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>Days turn into weeks, and weeks turn into a moon. Sehun watches that same moon at night, watches as it goes from black and new to full and white and back again. All the while, they work. They work, and Sehun wonders about their relationship, wonders about what might have transpired to lead them towards sempiternal struggle, the push and pull of broken love. They work, and Sehun dreams about what to do with Jongin, with Kyungsoo. They very rarely talk about it, the great divide between them, and that only makes Sehun want to know more.</p><p>"Get your head out of the clouds," Kyungsoo says. "Move the bricks." </p>
<p>"<em>Move the bricks</em>," Sehun mocks quietly, and he fills his wheelbarrow with the cooled bricks, leaving Kyungsoo to fire the rest of their current batch. </p>
<p>He's gotten used to this work now, and his hands are proof of that. Thickened with yellow-white callouses, he barely feels the wood handles anymore. In some way, this labor has given him clarity that no other task has; now he knows with absolute certainty that he will never do such labor ever again.  </p>
<p>Snorting to himself, he stacks the bricks neatly by the rest, tall walls of them now, and he heads back to the workshop when he's through.</p>
<p>By the time he gets back to the kiln, Kyungsoo has begun to mix more clay for another batch of bricks, the rest cooling by the window. There is but a gentle breeze. It will take the better part of the day, Sehun thinks. </p>
<p>"Sit," Kyungsoo says. "Another batch." </p>
<p>Sehun does as he's told, sitting alongside Kyungsoo. He pours his clay dust, pours water from the vase, and he bumps his shoulder into Kyungsoo's. He looks with a glare. </p>
<p>"What?" </p>
<p>"You will have to tell me sooner rather than later if you intend to let me help," Sehun says. </p>
<p>"You are speaking nonsensically," Kyungsoo says. "Speak plainly." </p>
<p>"Is the point of. this not to repair what was broken?" Sehun says. "Is it not a metaphor?" </p>
<p>Kyungsoo narrows his eyes. "I said <em>plainly</em>."</p>
<p>"You and Jongin," Sehun says. "Reuniting you with your sacred one." He gives the mixture in his mortar a quick stir before he looks over. "If I'm meant to help, then you will have to tell me the truth of it sooner rather than later. Just as I said." </p>
<p>"You know nothing," Kyungsoo says. "This task is about... is about finding peace. About not using magic for any old thing. It has nothing to do with Jongin. The sooner you shut up and focus on your work, the sooner we'll be through." He looks Sehun up and down. "If you are so concerned about time, I suggest you get back to the task at hand. You'll lose your looks at this rate, and your pretty god wouldn't like that, now would he?"</p>
<p>The words do their job, shutting Sehun up. He gets back to work, and the afternoon passes like a streak of sunlight. By the time they've fired their new bricks, Kyungsoo turns to him, looking more pleased than Sehun has ever seen him look before.</p>
<p>"I think that's the last that we'll need," Kyungsoo smiles. "Isn't that nice?" </p>
<p>"It is very nice," Sehun says. "Don't wake me until the sun is full in the sky." </p>
<p>"I'll wake you when the day begins," Kyungsoo says happily. "We are like seedlings. Each sun is a chance for growth." </p>
<p><em>What of your growth,</em> Sehun wants to ask. <em>When will you bloom?</em><br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>Once they have made enough bricks to begin their labor, they work on cleaning what's left of the temple. Sehun uses a hay broom to sweep aside debris, and he works on his hands and knees to pull the peat from between the stones. By the end of the sennight, Kyungsoo judges them ready to move on. They mix the quicklime with water to make the mortar, and that week they begin to lay the groundwork for the walls. Kyungsoo uses the lime, and Sehun lays the bricks.</p><p>Kyungsoo knows the plans intimately, so Sehun does as he's instructed, little more than a body moved like a game piece. They begin to build up the walls, and they build high walls with the small ladder from the workshop. </p>
<p>Sehun dusts his hands at the end of each day, and they wash in the river. </p>
<p>Each morning he begins with a clear mind, but each night, he goes to sleep with a clouded heart.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>Progress comes, though it comes at its own speed, does not care much for them. Sehun works without complaining, works without asking any more questions, but that does not stop the questions from building up in his head. Why this, of all things? Why now?</p><p>They eat by the fire, and Sehun stares at Kyungsoo over the amber flames. He doesn't seem to notice Sehun observing him, too busy with his meal, so Sehun lets his gaze linger as he studies him. His hair grows longer as the months grow long, and Sehun wonders how much longer it will take before they're through. They are still working on the walls, and soon, Sehun expects they'll begin the roof overhead, the supports holding up their work through the night as they wait for the cement to set. </p>
<p>"What?" Kyungsoo asks, finally seeming to take notice of Sehun staring at him.</p>
<p>"Nothing." </p>
<p>"It isn't nothing," Kyungsoo says. "But you've been working hard these past months. Ask the questions. I'll answer them truthfully." </p>
<p>"Really?" Sehun says, perking up. </p>
<p>"Yes, yes," Kyungsoo smiles. "I'll tell you all." </p>
<p>"Tell me of your childhood, then," Sehun smiles. </p>
<p>"Childhood? That's what you want to know?" </p>
<p>"You seemed tired with questions of Jongin," Sehun shrugs with a grin. "Something easier, I suppose." </p>
<p>"Ah, if only," Kyungsoo says. "All things go back to Jongin." It sounds exceedingly romantic when he says it like that, but Sehun figures he might not know how it sounds. "Do you truly want to know?" </p>
<p>"More than anything," Sehun says. </p>
<p>Kyungsoo sighs, and he looks off into the rolling hills, streaked with the jinblooms, the golden flowers that glow even in the middle of the night. </p>
<p>"I was a happy child," Kyungsoo says. "Content. I did not want for much. I was a farmer in the countryside. The orchards that we passed... my family owned one of these once. Long, long ago." </p>
<p><em>Farm? Family?</em> Sehun thinks silently. <em>What family?</em> </p>
<p>"When I met Jongin, everything changed," Kyungsoo says. "I could see into the future, the far, far future. I saw us together. I saw us happier than we knew how to be in that moment." He closes his eyes, hands squeezing as if trying to grab hold of something. "It was so tempting. The idea that we could be together forever." </p>
<p>"W-What are you saying?" Sehun asks. "Do you mean to say that—" </p>
<p>"Yes," Kyungsoo says, and he opens his eyes, flicks them over to meet Sehun's shocked gaze. "Yes, the mortal that ascended to the ranks of the gods so long ago... you look upon him now." </p>
<p>Everything collides loudly. </p>
<p>"No," Sehun says, frowning as he stares at Kyungsoo. "No, it isn't possible." </p>
<p>Kyungsoo laughs suddenly. "I assure you that it is." </p>
<p>"It was a woman!" Sehun remarks. "I heard many rumors of her beauty." </p>
<p>"Well, that's very flattering," Kyungsoo says, and he plays with the ends of his hair. "I suppose my hair was a bit longer then." </p>
<p>"It could not be you," Sehun says. </p>
<p>"Why not?" </p>
<p>"B-Because you've always been a god," Sehun says. "You are on the council. You have a vote." </p>
<p>"It was a very long time ago now that I ascended," Kyungsoo says, and he looks into the fire. "Centuries have passed, I assume. Story has become song. Song becomes legend. Legend, with enough time, with enough people speaking the words, with enough distance... legend always becomes a lie." </p>
<p>Sehun looks at him in a completely novel way. Kyungsoo... a mortal man? Surely it cannot be. He is too beautiful, too talented, too... too <em>everything</em> to have once been just like Sehun. </p>
<p>"What were your tasks?" Sehun asks, scooting closer. "What did they make you do?"</p>
<p>"Oh," Kyungsoo says, rolling his eyes, "of course you would want to know something so trivial." </p>
<p>"Well, it is of great interest to me!" Sehun exclaims. "After all, who else has survived the challenge that I am on the precipice of surviving?" </p>
<p>"I suppose you are right," Kyungsoo says. "It was a great long time ago now. I can hardly remember. There was... well, I fetched a goblet. I fetched a pelt. I fetched a spear." </p>
<p>"Lots of fetching," Sehun frowns. </p>
<p>"What? Is there a perceived unfairness? Do you think they've treated you to more difficulty?" </p>
<p>"I don't think, I know that they have," Sehun snorts, and it makes Kyungsoo laugh softly to himself. </p>
<p>"Surely, they did not want another to join us," Kyungsoo says. "If they make things too easy, everyone will do it without thinking of the consequences." He nods. "You remember I asked you once... I asked how everything will change once you've taken immortality into your blood." </p>
<p>"I remember." </p>
<p>"Your father will die," Kyungsoo says plainly, and it reminds Sehun of Junmyeon so vividly that it makes Sehun blink away tears. "Your brother, he will die. His wife will die. Whatever children she might bear, those children will die too. And though they will be your kin, your blood, your very flesh... you will be forced to watch." He tilts his head to the side. "Is that the kind of pain we should give to anyone? Is that something people deserve? Do you think you <em>truly</em> deserve that? Have you considered this endless life and what it means?" He shakes his head. "Sehun, you still have time to walk backward. You still have time to go home." </p>
<p>Sehun doesn't want to consider it any longer. </p>
<p>"I have prepared myself for these eventualities," Sehun says. "I have thought about it more than you or anyone else will ever know. I was forced to think about it before I agreed to this journey." </p>
<p>"Were you now?" Kyungsoo asks. "Who forced you to think of such things?" </p>
<p>"Junmyeon," Sehun answers plainly. "Not Suho, but Junmyeon. His true person. That's why I wanted this. That's why I chose this path for myself. I was ready for the pain, the suffering. I was ready for whatever came my way. My heart has not wandered from this path, never once." He rubs his hand over his forehead with a smile before aiming it at Kyungsoo. "If someone is projecting now, I believe it is you." </p>
<p>Kyungsoo stares warily at Sehun over the fire, and perhaps, after all this time, they are finally getting somewhere, finally scratching away the clay to bear the hardstone beneath. Sehun gives Kyungsoo a smile which Kyungsoo returns in kind. </p>
<p>Suddenly, there is a great boom of rain overhead, and the fire slowly smokes as it's put out. Sehun looks up at the sky as the torrent downpours. It is a rageful storm, sudden in its strike. He looks at Kyungsoo, about to ask if they should head to the workshop, but Kyungsoo is covering his face with his hand. </p>
<p>"What?" Sehun asks. </p>
<p>"Your keeper has come calling," Kyungsoo says, and his hand slips away from his face. It reveals a soft smile. He points over Sehun's shoulder. "If there is anyone to tame him, it must be you." </p>
<p>Sehun turns around to see Junmyeon approaching, his silks sticking into his body in the lewdest way. Sehun feels his face fire as the rains pour down over him, barely working to extinguish the heat. He watches as Junmyeon approaches, an angry line between his brows that becomes even more apparent the closer he gets. </p>
<p>Kyungsoo seems quite amused as Junmyeon stops in front of them, a wall of water rising behind him as he raises his hands. </p>
<p>"Greetings," Kyungsoo says. "What brings you here to our little fire?" </p>
<p>"What have you been doing all this time?" Junmyeon thunders. "I thought he was <em>dead</em>." </p>
<p>"Well, that would be his fate," Kyungsoo says. "Wouldn't it?" </p>
<p>"Enough nonsense from you," Junmyeon says to Kyungsoo before rounding on Sehun. "I expected as much from him, but you?" </p>
<p>"I haven't done anything but what I was asked to do!" </p>
<p>"Do you know how long it's been?" Junmyeon asks. "Do you know how long I've been waiting for word from you?" </p>
<p>"Quite a long time, I imagine," Sehun says. "I'm sorry." </p>
<p>"Don't apologize," Junmyeon says. He folds his arms across his chest, sits cross-legged in the mud. "Get back to work." </p>
<p>"It is nighttime," Sehun says, gesturing to the sky. </p>
<p>"As if I can't see that. Is this why you've been taking so long to return to me? Because you refuse to work through the night?" </p>
<p>"Yes, I suppose?" Sehun says. </p>
<p>Junmyeon glares at Kyungsoo. "I cannot believe it. This nonsense that flows from you to my beloved." </p>
<p>"It is not nonsense," Kyungsoo says simply. "It is the task that I have chosen for him." </p>
<p>"Rebuilding a temple?" Junmyeon scoffs. "<em>Two</em> people?" He waves his hands around angrily. "<em>No magic?</em>" </p>
<p>"Some of us like to do things the old-fashioned way," Kyungsoo says, and the water drips down his face. He brushes it away with a smile. "Do you intend to stop these rains?" </p>
<p>"I intend to drown you," Junmyeon says. "How does that make you feel, hm?" </p>
<p>"At peace," Kyungsoo deadpans. </p>
<p>"Oh, good," Junmyeon says, and he raises his hand easily, the rains falling harder than before. "Sehun, cover your mouth." </p>
<p>"Oh, stop this," Sehun says, and Junmyeon looks at him with ire. "You knew it might take a while!" </p>
<p>"A while," Junmyeon says. "A while is a moon. Two moons. Do you want to be gone for me for the turning of the sun? A whole year spent without even <em>seeing</em> me? That's <em>okay</em> with you?" </p>
<p>"It is the way of things," Sehun says evenly. "You're taking my absence particularly hard this time." </p>
<p>"Of course," Junmyeon says with a frown. "I miss you. I was <em>worried</em>." </p>
<p>"Know that I am well," Sehun says. "And sleep in your own bed." He kneels before Junmyeon, takes Junmyeon's hands in his. He whispers against his cheek, letting the words wash away with the water. "Go and think of me." </p>
<p>Junmyeon's rains stop, but he gives Sehun a soft kiss to the cheek, smiling at him. </p>
<p>"No," he says. "I think I'll stay." </p>
<p>"Stay?" Sehun asks, confused. </p>
<p>"Stay until you are finished," Junmyeon says. "Stay until you are truly and finally mine." </p>
<p>Sehun looks back to Kyungsoo, confused, and Kyungsoo shrugs his shoulders. "I cannot tell him not to. It is well within his rights to observe us." </p>
<p>Sehun looks at Junmyeon once again, the smug look upon his face. "You heard him. It is well within my rights." </p>
<p>"You know that I will return to you unharmed," Sehun says. "What is the point of such a thing?" </p>
<p>"I know why this has taken you so long," Junmyeon says, and he looks back over Sehun's shoulder, glaring at Kyungsoo. "I know. Because you cannot resist a good story. You can't resist sticking your nose into things." </p>
<p>"Me?" Sehun asks. </p>
<p>"Yes, of course <em>you</em>," Junmyeon says. "A silly little boy who needs to make everyone happy. For what?" </p>
<p>"F-For what?" Sehun asks. "Because it is what's right." </p>
<p>"Leave them to their own devices," Junmyeon encourages. "Let them solve their own problems. You don't owe them anything, least of all an immortal and the one he dragged here." </p>
<p>"But if it were us," Sehun whispers, and he feels the remnants of the rain drip down his lips, "if it were us, wouldn't you want someone to care? Wouldn't you want someone to try?" </p>
<p>"We would never find ourselves in this situation," Junmyeon says. "We love each other too much." </p>
<p>"You knew them," Sehun says. "Were they not in love like we are?" </p>
<p>Junmyeon bites his lip as he looks into Sehun's eyes, and he brushes water away from Sehun's cheek. </p>
<p>"Fine," Junmyeon says softly. "Fine, fix them if you must, but on one condition." </p>
<p>"Whatever it is, I will concede it," Sehun says. "Tell me, my love." </p>
<p>Junmyeon lifts himself from his position, and Sehun looks up to him from his knees. Junmyeon looks at Kyungsoo, raising a catty brow. </p>
<p>"Meddling has little to do with your task, does it not?" Junmyeon says. "You're meant to stay until the temple is done and that's where your obligation ends." Junmyeon snaps his fingers, disappears into white smoke. </p>
<p>Sehun whips around to look into Kyungsoo's panicked eyes. </p>
<p>"Oh no," Kyungsoo says. "Oh <em>no</em>." </p>
<p>"What?" Sehun asks, but by the time he has finished his question, he feels another puff of smoke at his back. </p>
<p>He finds Junmyeon standing in front of Jongin with a brilliant smile. </p>
<p>"If we are to mend them, then it is most prudent to bring the broken pieces back together, is it not?" Junmyeon says, and he steps out of Jongin's way. "Say hello, then." </p>
<p>“My love,” Jongin whispers. “It is good to see you once more.” </p>
<p>Sehun turns to Kyungsoo, his wide eyes so beautiful in the moonlight. They watch as Kyungsoo stands, patting down his wet clothes, swallowing thickly. </p>
<p>It is then that he turns sharply, running as fast as he can in the opposite direction. </p>
<p>“Oh, <em>Gods</em>,” Sehun groans, and he takes off to follow close behind.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hello there everyone, hope you're doing better than my characters in any given story i write them in. </p>
<p>have a wonderful week, and I'll see you all soon!!!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. the rebuilding of petralcius, part three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It takes far longer than Sehun would like to admit to catch up to Kyungsoo. If he didn't know better, he would assume that Kyungsoo was a marathon runner sent from the depths of hell to give him this one last test, that of physical endurance.</p>
<p>The night is still thick with darkness as they move, but Sehun's eyes have adjusted and he can see the little shadow of Kyungsoo's shoulders as they go.</p>
<p>"Stop," Sehun calls weakly, the air hitting his raw throat like acid. "Please. Please, stop."</p>
<p>"No," Kyungsoo says, calling back over his shoulder weakly as he continues to trudge forward.</p>
<p>They've been at this for long enough now, Sehun thinks. It's time to put an end to things. With the last of his strength, the very dredges of his energy, he leaps forward and tackles Kyungsoo to the ground.</p>
<p>"Ouch," Kyungsoo whines, and Sehun thumps his head against Kyungsoo's shoulders as they lay there in the dirt for a moment or two. "You could have warned me."</p>
<p>"I gave you plenty of time," Sehun says. "<em>Plenty</em> of time."</p>
<p>Kyungsoo says nothing as he reaches backward and slaps at Sehun inelegantly until Sehun stands, offering Kyungsoo a hand up afterward. Kyungsoo looks off into the distance as if he is about to make a run for it again, and Sehun grabs him by the shoulder.</p>
<p>"Are you insane?" Sehun wonders. "You know he has the power of teleportation, don't you?"</p>
<p>"I know," Kyungsoo says, and he braces his hands on Sehun's shoulders, still huffing and puffing albeit a bit slower than before, "but he would never use it to chase me."</p>
<p>And sure enough, as Sehun looks behind him, the others have stayed behind in the distance. Sehun can barely see them now, they're so far away.</p>
<p>"Surely you can see that for the sign of love that it is," Sehun says.</p>
<p>"It is not love to respect someone," Kyungsoo says. "It is only respect to respect someone."</p>
<p>"Whatever it is, it is admirable," Sehun says. "What a scene you've caused."</p>
<p>"I don't think it was that great of a scene," Kyungsoo says. "I only avoided a situation best avoided. I think that was quite mature of me."</p>
<p>"He's come all this way to talk to you," Sehun says. "And it's been so long. I don't understand. You won't even give him the time of day?"</p>
<p>Kyungsoo looks him over, head to toe.</p>
<p>"No," Kyungsoo says. "For his own sake, not even that."</p>
<p>"Why?" Sehun wonders. "When we're so close to finishing the temple?"</p>
<p>"There is still much to do," Kyungsoo says with narrowed eyes. "We are to begin the roof any day now, building the fountains and the wishpools, laying the floors... many, many other cosmetic details to be finished. Just because we've got some walls now doesn't mean your task is over, fisherboy."</p>
<p>The familiar name tugs at his heart, and he finds himself smiling at Kyungsoo. </p>
<p>"And it will all be done," Sehun says. "You have my word, no matter what. Whether or not you mend your heart, it is of no matter to me." He looks back to the hills of gold, trying to feign disinterest. "But if we are to finish the temple, we will need to return."</p>
<p>Kyungsoo gives it a think, but it does not take very long at all for him to agree.</p>
<p>"You're right, of course," Kyungsoo nods. "We should head back." He gives Sehun a quiet smile. "Shall we go?"</p>
<p>"Walk? Walk <em>back</em>? After we just <em>ran here</em>?"</p>
<p>"How else would we make it back?" Kyungsoo asks.</p>
<p>Sehun stares at him with wide eyes. "You <em>must</em> be insane." He looks back in the direction they came. "Junmyeon."</p>
<p>Within an instant, Junmyeon is by his side, stepping from a cloud of white.</p>
<p>"You called for me, my love," Junmyeon says.</p>
<p>"Take us back," Sehun gasps. "And if he tries to struggle, kill him."</p>
<p>"With pleasure," Junmyeon says, and he wraps Sehun's right wrist and Kyungsoo's left with his fingers, tight and sure as they are whipped through the rolling golden hills.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>Sehun's feet thud onto the dirt, all the rains sunk into the earth now. If nothing else, Sehun thinks, these lands were in desperate need of a watering.</p><p>"Well, now that we're back together again, let's sort things out," Junmyeon says, and he turns to Jongin with clasped hands. "Jongin, go on." But Sehun reaches forward at the moment Jongin opens his mouth, a hand wrapped around Junmyeon's wrist. "Sehun, what is it?"</p>
<p>"We... it has been a long day, has it not?" Sehun says, and he looks around them. "The sun will not rise for several hours, so... so why don't we rest by the fire and save our energies for tomorrow?"</p>
<p>Sehun looks around at the three gods, two of birth and one of choice, and they look at him like he's crazy.</p>
<p>"Where's the nearest inn?" Junmyeon asks.</p>
<p>Kyungsoo points to the south, and Junmyeon blips out of sight without another word.</p>
<p>So much for missing him, Sehun thinks with a smile. He looks to Jongin, standing there shyly. It reminds Sehun of the little school children he used to see running around the neighborhoods, asking the merchants for free candies and sugared fruit.</p>
<p>"I suppose I ought to follow him," Jongin says. "I would hate to impose."</p>
<p>Sehun looks at Kyungsoo who kneels down to spark the fire alight once more. He takes a shortcut, Sehun notices, the brush gone dry under his magical hand. Sehun smiles down at him as it all burns red.</p>
<p>"It is no trouble," Kyungsoo says tightly. "You can rest here tonight."</p>
<p>"Then I am in your debt," Jongin says. "Truly."</p>
<p>"It's just a fire," Kyungsoo says. "It is nothing more. We need our rest. The morning will come whether we're prepared or not."</p>
<p>"You are right," Jongin says. "I thank you." </p>
<p>Sehun watches them uncomfortably in moments of absolute deathly silence until Kyungsoo looks at Jongin once again, eyes hard and full of steel.  </p>
<p>"There is only one condition," Kyungsoo says. "Do not get in the way of our work. Do you understand?"</p>
<p>"Completely," Jongin answers, nodding eagerly. "Thank you, my old friend." </p>
<p>Sehun barely breathes out that evening under the stars, listening to the sounds of their breath evening in sleep.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>Sehun rises with the break of dawn, and Jongin sits stoking the fire as Kyungsoo and Sehun go to the edge of the moorland, chopping down thin fine branches of the willowy trees to make supports for the roof. They head back around midmorning, fastening the supports together with weaved rope, and by the time it's finished, it is about time for their afternoon meal. That is precisely when Junmyeon returns, looking well-rested and smelling like a garden. Sehun scoffs at him, and Junmyeon folds his arms over his chest.</p><p>"If you are to chastise me, I'd prefer you do it now while I'm in a good mood," Junmyeon smiles, and he looks back over Sehun's shoulder to speak to Kyungsoo. "The baths are divine. The heated tiles... lovely." </p>
<p>"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Kyungsoo says, and he whistles, Sehun turning his head sharply at the sound. "Let's lift this into place." </p>
<p>And so Sehun gives Junmyeon a parting smile, helping Kyungsoo to lift the massive support structure into place. Kyungsoo dusts his hands with a satisfied sound after they're finished, and Sehun raises his eyebrows at him. </p>
<p>"What?" Kyungsoo asks. </p>
<p>Sehun looks back to the gods sitting around the fire, looking perfectly pedestrian. Ever since Sehun was made aware of Kyungsoo's origin, he cannot help feel as though the distance between them has been shortened. They have a kinship that no others share. </p>
<p>"What are you going to do about Jongin," Sehun asks, "now that he's here?"  </p>
<p>"There is nothing to be done," Kyungsoo says. "If he has something to say, I suppose I will have to hear him say it." </p>
<p>They spend the latter part of the day slowly building the roof, laying the mortar on brick by brick, watching the roof come together. It is slow work, and Sehun's hands ache by the setting of the sun. </p>
<p>Sehun walks with Jongin after a tense supper, and they go to the nearest creek to wash up. Jongin sits by the bank, pouting. </p>
<p>"You must say something," Sehun says. "If you are to do anything with this time, you must say something. He won't start things." </p>
<p>"I know," Jongin pouts. "I just wish he would." </p>
<p>"Well, you will spend the rest of your endless life waiting for his words if you don't call for them with your own," Sehun says. "Enough of this coy nonsense." </p>
<p>Jongin looks at him funnily before hiding a smile in the crook of his arm. "He gives you much strength." </p>
<p>"Kyungsoo?" </p>
<p>"Junmyeon," Jongin clarifies. "I never thought you were weak, but when he is around you, I think there must be no one stronger." Sehun looks away as his face colors happily. "You're so easy to please." </p>
<p>"Shut up," Sehun says, and he jumps in the creek to wash the sweat away from him.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>The roof is finished within a sennight’s time, but the conversations between Jongin and Kyungsoo move even slower than that. They begin to dig the wells for the wishpools, and it is difficult labor. He puts his back into the digging, but his hands ache as the wood digs against his callouses. Sehun works on his own, sweating furiously as Jongin does exactly what he says he wouldn't: get in the way. Sehun's pleased about that.</p><p>“Kyungsoo, please, I think if we could just talk plainly—”</p>
<p>“I’m busy digging a trench,” Kyungsoo says. </p>
<p>“Go, go,” Sehun says, looking towards Junmyeon. “I’ll finish here.” He nods his head at Junmyeon as if to say <em>hurry now, make sure it sticks this time</em>. </p>
<p>Kyungsoo huffs. “None of you will let things die, will you?” </p>
<p>“Not in our nature,” Junmyeon sing-songs. </p>
<p>"I'm sorry," Jongin whispers, and he takes Kyungsoo by the hand. "I'm sorry, is that what you want to hear? Then I will say it a million times and a million times more. My love. Please.”  </p>
<p>"No, I want no more of your apologies," Kyungsoo says. "You did not trust me. You gave me this life, let me take it from your hand, and then assumed you knew what I was thinking." </p>
<p>"Could you blame me for such a thing?" Jongin asks. "When you took the losses you faced with such... such passion?" </p>
<p>"Grief is not passion," Kyungsoo says with gritted teeth. </p>
<p>"N-No, no, that's not what I meant." </p>
<p>"But it is what you said." </p>
<p>"Kyungsoo," Jongin says softly. "I only want you to know that I <em>love</em> you. Desperately. Most truly." </p>
<p>Kyungsoo looks away. "I love you. I have always loved you. You know this for the truth that it is." He turns back to Jongin with his eyes full of tears. "I cannot speak of this anymore." </p>
<p>He stands sharply, walking furiously towards the workshop. Kyungsoo shuts the door with a resounding thud behind him, and Jongin's head falls with a sigh. </p>
<p>"Of course, just when we're finally getting somewhere," Junmyeon says, bored, and Sehun reaches over to smack him along the arm with the wooden handle of his shovel. "Ow." </p>
<p>"Give them space," Sehun whispers. "They won't fix things in one night." </p>
<p>“It’s been twelve nights,” Junmyeon says. </p>
<p>“Well, they won’t fix things in twelve nights either, I suppose.” </p>
<p>"I would like this to be done before the year is out," Junmyeon whispers back, and he stands, following after Kyungsoo. </p>
<p>"Don't," Sehun warns, but predictably, the words cascade down Junmyeon's back as he walks off. Sehun turns to Jongin whose head hangs miserably. "I'm sorry." </p>
<p>"Whatever for?" Jongin says sullenly. "It is my own fault. I am the one who has ruined things so completely." </p>
<p>"How?" Sehun wonders. "What is he talking about, all this with <em>trust</em>?" </p>
<p>"It's so long ago now that it... it sounds silly to say it aloud," Jongin says, raising his head with a pitiful laugh. "After he ascended, after his immortality was confirmed, it was joyous for so long. And then... everyone around him began to die." Jongin looks at him with watery eyes. "First, his parents. Then his siblings and friends. One by one they left. And I knew... well, I <em>thought</em> I knew that he regretted his decision to take eternal life." </p>
<p>"So all this is just because you did not believe that he wanted to stay with you?" </p>
<p>"It was difficult to believe," Jongin says. "If you saw the way he looked at me, the way he looked at the world—" and he trails off with another heavy sigh.</p>
<p>“Have you learned to take him at his word?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“Yes,” Jongin says. “I could not bear to see my heart torn asunder again.” He nods. “Yes, I will believe whatever he says. I will take each word as a blessing.” </p>
<p>Sehun nods, though something about the situation rings so falsely to him.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>They lay the floor in an afternoon, and from then on, there is only one thing left to do. Lay the bricks along the dug earth and divert water from the springs. After that, it will all be finished. Sehun stares up at the stars. Their time together is running out, and it makes him anxious. Ever since Kyungsoo's and Junmyeon's secret conversation in the workshop, Kyungsoo and Jongin argue quietly in the mid-mornings or the late evenings. Sehun minds his business as best he can.</p><p>“Oh, oh, they’re coming this way,” Junmyeon says happily, turning to Sehun to pretend as if he wasn’t eavesdropping. </p>
<p>“Why can you not forgive me?” Jongin asks. “Can’t you see my genuine heart? The truth of my words?” </p>
<p>Kyungsoo stands there by the fire, hands trembling as he rolls them into fists. </p>
<p>"I do not deserve an apology." </p>
<p>"Of course you do," Jongin says. "And I'll give it as many times as you need." </p>
<p>"No," Kyungsoo says. "Stop. No more of it." </p>
<p>"Kyungsoo, I can't." </p>
<p>"No, <em>I</em> can't."</p>
<p>"Why can't you?" </p>
<p>“I cannot accept an apology because you were <em>right</em>,” Kyungsoo says, and it bleeds out of him, “all along, you were right.” </p>
<p>“W-What?” Jongin asks. </p>
<p>“<em>What?</em>” Junmyeon echoes. </p>
<p>“You did not believe me then because you were able to see through me,” Kyungsoo says, and tears fall down his face in anger and upset. “You could see my regret. You knew, and I hated that you could know me so well. I hated that I could not fool you, even for a moment.” </p>
<p>Jongin’s face falls, and he covers his mouth with his hand. </p>
<p>“It’s been so long,” Jongin whispers. “Why now?” </p>
<p>“Because I cannot take it any longer,” Kyungsoo says. “I can’t… I cannot hold this lie. A lie that rings so false, it hurts my ears.” </p>
<p>“You could have told me,” Jongin says, and he goes to him, unfurls his fists, and holds his hands. “Of course. Of <em>course</em>. T-That’s what it was always about. You would not let me see your weakness. You never wanted that.” </p>
<p>“I still do not want it now,” Kyungsoo laughs through tears. “And yet I must. I must... come clean after all this time.” He shakes his head. “Could you ever forgive me for this? These years of suffering I’ve stubbornly put us through?” </p>
<p>Jongin leans forward, bumping their foreheads together. “There is little to forgive.” </p>
<p>“Don’t say that,” Kyungsoo says. “I’ve shown you something so human and ugly.” </p>
<p>“I think this is the most beautiful you’ve ever been.” </p>
<p>They close their eyes, and Junmyeon makes a soft sound, gripping Sehun’s arm so tightly that Sehun thinks it might lose blood. </p>
<p>"Do you want to know something terrible?" Kyungsoo whispers sadly. "It's been so long now that I can barely remember their faces. I can hardly place them in my mind." He squeezes his eyes shut. "Once, I thought of them every day and they were so clear that I could nearly reach out and touch them. Now, it's as though they are just people in blurry paintings. I can make out the shape, but the rest eludes me." </p>
<p>“This is the way of time,” Jongin says. “Marks in the sand.” </p>
<p>“Isn’t that sad?” </p>
<p>“Yes,” Jongin says. “I think there is a great sadness within you. And that is all right with me.” </p>
<p>“Do you mean it truly?” Kyungsoo wonders. “Even if I am exactly the person you always thought I was? Foolish?” </p>
<p>Jongin kisses him quickly, and Kyungsoo breathes out against him. Sehun looks away, but Junmyeon claps his hands with a whoop. Sehun slaps him enthusiastically. </p>
<p>“We should talk more privately,” Jongin entices. “Now that we’ve finally gotten to the heart of it… please, I think—” </p>
<p>“B-But he and I,” Kyungsoo says, gesturing to Sehun, “we’ve got to fill the pools.”  </p>
<p>In a heartbeat, the wishpools and the fountains suddenly burst with beautifully clear water, and Sehun gives Junmyeon a look. </p>
<p>“What?” he asks. “It wasn’t me.” </p>
<p>Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, and he takes Jongin by the hand, dragging him towards the creek. The soft sounds of their conversation echo along the hillsides, and Junmyeon turns to Sehun with a delighted grin. </p>
<p>“Are you pleased?” Junmyeon asks. “I’ve helped, haven’t I?” </p>
<p>“Yes, you've done well,” Sehun says, and he gathers Junmyeon in his arms, kissing him softly. “I believe that will be it.” </p>
<p>And so it is with great delight that they watch the two return to the campfire, their mouths are red and their hair is mussed. </p>
<p>“I won’t hear a word about it,” Kyungsoo says sternly. </p>
<p>“Never,” Junmyeon says, and he lays his head on Sehun’s chest as they go to rest under the blanket of stars. “Not even one, I should think.”<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>On important mornings, Sehun's stomach twists with nervous energy. That morning, though, arguably the most important day of his life, Sehun feels nothing but peace. He sweeps the floor of the temple with the same simple broom as before, flowers pouring from the urns beautifully. He waters them all carefully, and they burst with life.</p><p>Kyungsoo stands in front of the temple with his arms folded across his chest, lips pouting as he takes in their work. He looks side to side as if trying to find something else for them to do, but at the end of the inspection, he nods with a smile. </p>
<p>"Yes, I guess it is complete," he says, and he lowers his arms to his sides, bowing before Sehun. "Thank you." </p>
<p>And as simply as it began, it is finished. Sehun's great work, all come down to this. The time he spent in the sun, the moons he built the temple by hand. All the struggles, all the danger, all the dramatics and mortal fear, he has surpassed all the expectations. He has overcome all the odds. Whether it was nothing more than sheer luck, whether fate played a part, whether he was meant for this or not... no one could ever tell him that he has not earned it, paid for eternal life with his own blood and salt.  </p>
<p>The sun dips down behind the clouds as he looks at Junmyeon staring at the temple, and the light halos around him beautifully. He cannot believe it is truly done. </p>
<p>"Now," Junmyeon says, "now, it's all finished." </p>
<p>Sehun looks at the majesty before him, the temple completed and the chains broken around him, shattering from around his ankles. Jongin and Kyungsoo stand hand in hand, and Sehun goes to Junmyeon, mouth parted in wonderment. </p>
<p>"Is it true? Has this blessed day finally arrived?" </p>
<p>"Look upon your work again, fisherboy," Junmyeon says, voice taut with emotion. "If this is not complete, then I do not know what more could await you." </p>
<p>"It feels... it feels so different from what I thought it might," Sehun says. </p>
<p>"How did you think it might feel?" Junmyeon asks. </p>
<p>"Like purpose had been taken from me," Sehun says. "As if there were no stories left for me to tell." </p>
<p>"If not this, then how does it feel?" </p>
<p>"Like I have many stories left within me," Sehun says. "Stories to write with you. Stories to share with you." </p>
<p>Junmyeon's eyes are full of starlight, and he launches himself into Sehun's embrace, not caring much for the other gods or whoever else might be staring at them. Sehun hugs him closely, arms around Junmyeon's middle, and he buries his face into Junmyeon's shoulder. </p>
<p>"Call them," Junmyeon says past Sehun, speaking to the gods behind him. "Call them all." </p>
<p>"We'll need to travel, you know," Kyungsoo says. </p>
<p>"That's no problem," Junmyeon says, and just like that, Junmyeon and Sehun are dancing through the cosmos, entangled in the other until they land in the middle of the mountain on high where everything began so long ago.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>The council of <em>eight</em> sits at the grand curved table, and Sehun hides a smile as he recalls the frightened boy who stood before them to ask for their favor. They were so much bigger then, he thinks, so much larger than he was. He stared up at them with wide, naive eyes. Now, he will sit among them. Now, he is just as tall.</p><p>If nothing else, he had learned to be fearless. After all, what was there left to fear? He had survived everything they could think to throw at him. </p>
<p>"The council convenes," Minseok says cheerfully, "to settle the matter of this mortal." He looks to his left, eyes meeting Baekhyun's. "His first task..." </p>
<p>"I asked him to retrieve a priceless artifact lost long ago," Baekhyun says, and Sehun blinks quickly as Baekhyun smiles upon him, just as bright as the sun. "He accomplished his task. He found the glimmerstone." </p>
<p>"His second," Minseok calls. </p>
<p>"I assigned the boy a mission of ridding my people of a living pestilence," Yixing says with a grin, nodding his head as if bestowing his love upon Sehun. "He accomplished his task. He slew the Ivy Skin." </p>
<p>"Third," Minseok says, looking to Jongdae. </p>
<p>"I gave him the mission of fetching a helm from a land poisoned with <em>plague</em>," Jongdae says pointedly, looking across the table to stare at Junmyeon. He relents with a laugh. "He accomplished his task. He brought back the Thunder Helm." </p>
<p>"His fourth task, the task I gave to him," Minseok smiles, nodding at Sehun. "I asked the boy to handle the eternal ice wyvern as he saw fit. He accomplished his task with grace. He tamed the Fractia and brought peace to the land." He looks to his left where Chanyeol is wiggling a little flame between his fingers. "Fifth?" </p>
<p>"I asked him to craft me a centuries-old potion," Chanyeol says with a devious little smile. "And oh, did he succeed. He accomplished his task well. He crafted Fire's Kiss." </p>
<p>"His sixth." </p>
<p>Jongin clears his throat, and Sehun looks at him through a wash of tears. "I challenged Sehun to help guide me through the forests of Materria. He accomplished his task easily." He bites his lip as he smiles. "He wandered well." </p>
<p>Sehun pinches himself at this side to keep from laughing out into the room. </p>
<p>"His seventh and final task?" Minseok asks, looking at Kyungsoo with a soft smile. </p>
<p>"I tasked Sehun with aiding me in repairing the ruins of my temple," Kyungsoo says with such warmth and such kindness. "He accomplished his task. He rebuilt the temple of Petralcius." </p>
<p>Minseok looks to Junmyeon. "So then... the vote is little more than a show now, but... all in favor?" </p>
<p>Sehun watches as they raise their hands one by one, all eight of them voting for Sehun's ascension. His heart nearly bursts at the sight of it, but then, everything changes. Everything feels so real as they turn their hands towards him.</p>
<p>"Brace yourself now," Chanyeol says with a grin. "It'll knock you off your ass." </p>
<p>Sehun barely has the time to blink before he is blinded by the light streaming from their open palms. Eight ribbons of iridescent light combine into one, and that beam of light strikes him firmly in the chest, right into his heart. He breathes in sharply as it bubbles through him, reminiscent of the first time Junmyeon gave him the ability to breathe underwater. It must be the feeling of magic, he reasons, letting it glide pleasantly, preciously along his skin, billowing out in waves of energy that scream towards the sun. </p>
<p>It lasts only a minute, but it is the most delicious sensation. He mourns its loss when it's gone, but in its wake, he feels… lovely. He blinks through tears, looking around. It all seems a bit clearer. Other than that, he feels no different. </p>
<p>“Excellent,” Minseok says with a joyous smile. “Our work is done.” </p>
<p>“Barbecue?” Baekhyun asks Chanyeol, sharply turning to Minseok. “Barbecue? There is a place below the mount that is simply divine. You’d think you tasted heaven itself.” He grabs himself lewdly. </p>
<p>“Is that what you call it?” Jongdae asks dryly. </p>
<p>“No, that’s what <em>they</em> call it,” Baekhyun says happily. </p>
<p>“It matters not,” Chanyeol says. “I’ll go.” </p>
<p>“I’ll go,” Minseok shrugs. “Nothing better to do.” </p>
<p>“Our company is better than nothing?” Jongdae says. “What a compliment.” </p>
<p>“I’ve got to tend to certain things,” Kyungsoo says, his gaze low. He can’t help but smile. </p>
<p>“Certain things?” Yixing teases, and he elbows Jongin sharply. “A certain <em>thing</em>, no?” </p>
<p>“Oh, delicious,” Baekhyun says, “share the details, won’t you?” </p>
<p>The rest of them surround Kyungsoo and Jongin, huddling around them as the din of their fervent questions swallows the quiet air, devouring it hungrily. Sehun turns, sees Junmyeon walking beside him. Whenever they are all together, he is used to them all staring at him. He is used to them talking about him, asking him questions. In a way, it is a relief not to be the center of attention, but in another, there is a vague sort of emptiness. </p>
<p>“I guess this is where it ends,” Sehun says, a sad smile on his face as he looks at them. </p>
<p>“Ends?” Junmyeon smiles, and he gives Sehun his hand to hold. “You haven’t grown even a <em>bit</em> wiser, have you?” He shakes his head with a delighted grin. “A circle does not end, or if it ends, it simply begins again so quickly that you do not even notice. If this is an end, it is certainly a beginning as well.” </p>
<p>The emptiness inside him disappears just as quickly as it arrived, replaced as it always will be, by the fantastic and incredible fullness of love.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hello everyone :^) </p>
<p>we're nearly there now, just three parts left to go. i hope you'll enjoy reading the ending as much as i know i will enjoy writing it! my tentative schedule for the rest of the fic goes as follows: part one will probably go up on thursday, february 25th, part two will probably go up on wednesday, march 3rd, and the final part will probably go up on tuesday, march 9th. of course, this is subject to change based on my Feelings, but i expect to stick to the schedule as i usually do. </p>
<p>all right then ♡ have a splendid weekend, stay safe, and see you soon!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. the reaping of the golden apple, part one</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They step into the open air atop the mount, and Junmyeon offers Sehun his hand. The rest of them linger behind, bickering over frivolous things. Sehun barely hears them. He’s sure that their paths will cross again sometime, but for now… </p>
<p>“Where will we go?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“Have you forgotten?” Junmyeon wonders with a wry smile. “After so much dreaming, has it all turned to ash inside your head?” </p>
<p>Sehun scoffs, and he takes Junmyeon’s hand. </p>
<p>“Wherever you lead, I will follow,” Sehun tells him. “This is the way of us, same as it has always been.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon strokes a palm along Sehun’s cheek, and Sehun closes his eyes to take it all in. The air here smells a bit acrid, a memory from the fire mountains all around him, sulfur in his nose. It will be good to go away. It will be good to take some time just for the two of them. </p>
<p>“Shall I teach you?” Junmyeon asks, and with their hands cupped together like this, Sehun thinks he could do just about anything Junmyeon asked. </p>
<p>“Teach me what?” </p>
<p>“How to take us to the sunset land,” Junmyeon says. “Would you like to be the one to lead us there?” </p>
<p>Sehun discovers a smile slowly, and he brings their hands between their bodies, clutched between their chests. </p>
<p>“Yes,” Sehun whispers. “I think I would like that very much, my love.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon clears his throat happily, all of the nervous energy flowing out of him in excitable shakes of his shoulders. Then he is stoic and stone, built of something immovable. </p>
<p>“All right then. Close your eyes,” Junmyeon says, and Sehun obeys, focusing on the feeling of their beating hearts, the scent of acid all around them. “Think of the place that you most want to go.” </p>
<p>He tries, but there is nothing to imagine. </p>
<p>“I cannot see it,” Sehun whispers, all the darkness swallowing him up. “I do not know these lands.” </p>
<p>“If you desire it, the picture will come,” Junmyeon says. “If you want it with all your heart, then it will appear before you. Keep quiet, and simply think.” </p>
<p>Sehun desires it more than anything else. Something beautiful. Something to share with Junmyeon. To show Junmyeon something that he’s never seen before. Suddenly, without much warning at all, there is a streak of red across his mind. He frantically opens his eyes, and they are tumbling through space, holding each other tightly. They land upon the soft earth of the sunset lands, and Sehun gasps in awe as he looks around them. </p>
<p>“You’ve done it,” Junmyeon whispers, “again, you have done the unthinkable. The unimaginable.” </p>
<p>It looks like paint dripping across the sky, each color melting into the other. Scarlets and pinks and aquamarines, each blending and unique, spiraling spheres of light. It looks like molten metals, bronze, silver, and gold striping the ether. The clouds are soft jewel tones, ambers and jades and amethysts that echo across the edge of the earth. It is magnificent, even more magnificent than words. It is a marvel. It is beauty, pure and simple. The source of beauty itself. </p>
<p>He reaches out to stroke his fingers along the sky, thinking that perhaps, it will feel like tempera, rich and sweet-smelling. </p>
<p>“Come,” Junmyeon says, and he points towards the trees along the horizon. “Let us go, my love.” </p>
<p>The lands are gently rolling with tall lilac-colored grass, deep violet flowers strewn across the knolls. As they walk towards the smattering of apple trees, the grass tickles his legs. He squeezes Junmyeon’s hand a little tighter in his as they journey, stepping into the streaming colors. </p>
<p>And so they go to the trees, the bark rich chocolate in color, the leaves deep maroon. The fruits of the trees are yellow gold and shimmering, beaded with morning dew. The fruit of the world between worlds. He made a promise to Junmyeon once. To come here, to taste these fruits. It is all over now, and yet somehow, it is just beginning. </p>
<p>“Thank you,” Sehun whispers, and he looks down into Junmyeon’s eyes, drawn in by their warmth. “Thank you for everything.” </p>
<p>“If you mean it, you must thank me properly,” Junmyeon grins, and it is hard to believe that they’ve come so far from the first time they met, the crassness, the sex, the way he knew him only as lord, king, god above. </p>
<p>There is no less reverence, Sehun still holds him above all else, but now, there is a familiar, intimate love between them. If anything in the world is more pleasing than this, then Sehun would surely know it by now. </p>
<p>He kisses Junmyeon there under the tree bearing the golden apples, and he relaxes into it, their first step in another mighty journey before them. Junmyeon’s hands are gentle along Sehun’s neck, and Sehun holds their bodies close together in the lands of the setting sun, the world never quite moving past the golden hour but always twisting and turning around them anyway. </p>
<p>Junmyeon pulls back from the embrace with a small smile. </p>
<p>“You have not yet completed my task,” Junmyeon says and he flicks his eyes up towards the tree above them. </p>
<p>Sehun’s heart races in his chest as he observes Junmyeon, the deep rose of his mouth, the glint in his eyes. </p>
<p>“Tell me, then,” Sehun says. “Tell me what I must do to have you.” </p>
<p>“Fetch me the apple,” Junmyeon whispers, and he tilts his chin up as he stares at the golden apple hanging down from the nearest branch. “Do this and not only will you have eternal life, but this eternal love.” </p>
<p>Sehun smiles as he easily reaches up to pluck the apple from the tree, moving so slowly and surely as he places the fruit into Junmyeon’s hand. Junmyeon smiles as he brings the golden apple to his mouth, sinking his teeth into the flesh easily. He takes his bite, eyes shutting, and by the time he opens his eyes again, they too are bright gold. </p>
<p>He raises the apple to Sehun’s mouth, a hand on the back of Sehun’s neck. “Eat from my hand,” he whispers. “And taste the sweetness.” </p>
<p>Sehun opens his mouth, taking a bite of the apple same as Junmyeon. </p>
<p>It tastes like any other apple until it doesn’t. He shuts his eyes the way Junmyeon had, and that seems to change everything. Magic leaps through him, bounding across his hilltops, and it burns through him like a screaming sunrise. It bursts across his eyes’ horizons, and when he opens his eyes again, all he sees is bright, beautiful, lovely gold. </p>
<p>“How does it taste?” Junmyeon asks. “How do you feel?” </p>
<p>Sehun does not answer with words, and the fruit falls to the ground, tumbling from Junmyeon’s hand as Sehun takes him in his arms, a kiss multiplying between them. He forgets the world, the worlds between worlds, and together, they build a truth just for the two of them. Sehun lays Junmyeon’s body onto the soft violet earth beneath the trees, and he follows soon after. </p>
<p>They are alone in the sunset lands, a beautiful peace settling over them in a sheet. They embrace each other, and Sehun kisses Junmyeon deeply, determined to have a feast of flesh as his reward. Junmyeon moans softly into Sehun’s mouth, and he swallows it gratefully, indulging in it before he is being pushed backward.</p>
<p>“Wait, wait,” Junmyeon whispers, “let us wash.” </p>
<p>Sehun looks to the left and to the right, the twirling painted sky before him so brilliant he almost gets distracted by it. “Where is the water?” </p>
<p>“I don’t know,” Junmyeon whispers, but he looks to the valley beneath the apple trees. “Should I bring it to us?” </p>
<p>Sehun smiles, nods, and they stand at the edge of what becomes a shimmering blue lake at the snap of Junmyeon’s fingers. It never ceases to amaze him, this power that flows through him easily, and when they strip themselves of their clothes, Sehun imagines they might not put them back on. </p>
<p>Junmyeon takes Sehun by the hand and leads him into the water. It feels so good on his skin, sinking into the depths, and Junmyeon wraps his body around him. It does not smell or feel like normal water, reminds him more of the baths in Junmyeon’s palace than any inlet or tributary. This water is perfectly warm and smells sweetly of flowers, gliding over their skin as they gently wash each other’s hair. </p>
<p>Sehun moans at the feeling of Junmyeon’s fingers scrubbing along his scalp, the dirt and oil rinsed away in the new, sacred waters. He takes Junmyeon in another kiss, even more desperate than before now that they are stripped of artifice, made clean within this divine place. A place for them. </p>
<p>Junmyeon tilts his head back with a moan as Sehun kisses down his throat, sucking a mark to the skin. When he observes his work, he notices the slight redness, the broken blood beneath the surface. He holds Junmyeon around the waist, and he presses them together beneath the water. </p>
<p>“May I have you now?” Sehun whispers. “I’ve been waiting for so long.” </p>
<p>“<em>You’ve</em> been waiting,” Junmyeon whispers, and he takes Sehun by the hair, pulling him back. He wraps his legs around Sehun’s waist, so light in the water, raising himself up to look down into Sehun’s eyes. “I wanted with all my heart to take you during your task.” </p>
<p>“And you were so patient,” Sehun praises with a grin. “Well, except for when you tried to fuck me in the middle of the night.” </p>
<p>“You were lying there all… all <em>beautiful</em>,” Junmyeon says. “What am I to do? Just do <em>nothing</em>?” </p>
<p>“You can do whatever you like now,” Sehun whispers. “For we are finally well and truly alone. No one else can come here.” He moves closer, his lips against Junmyeon’s. “We are free.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon wrinkles his brows as he moans, crushing his lips against Sehun’s. Their cup overflows with emotion, with love and ardor, and it makes Sehun’s stomach ache with pleasure. </p>
<p>Sehun lowers his hands, skimming them through the water and over Junmyeon’s deliciously soft skin before holding him by the backs of his thighs. Junmyeon’s arms wrap tightly around Sehun’s neck as Sehun walks them out of the water, setting Junmyeon down onto the hillside. He stares down at Junmyeon, the bounty of him, the length of his lithe body and the slim of his waist… he kisses him hard, full of eager love, full with boundless potential. <em>Yes</em>, he tells himself, <em>this is the love of a person who cannot lose.</em> </p>
<p>“My love,” Junmyeon whispers, hands in Sehun’s hair. “Take me, won’t you? Fiercely and with abandon?” </p>
<p>“Whatever you wish,” Sehun murmurs, the vibrations dancing along Junmyeon’s shoulder blade. “Until forever ends, I will grant you your deepest desires.” </p>
<p>“Then come inside me,” Junmyeon says, even his gentle voice loud in the quiet land. “Come into me. It is so terrible to be two when we were meant to be one all along.” </p>
<p>Sehun squeezes his eyes shut as he kisses Junmyeon passionately, touching Junmyeon wetly as he prepares him. There is no need, it seems; Junmyeon welcomes him in like the ocean waves, like seafoam and warm sand and the bright summer sun. </p>
<p>He moves inside torturously slow, and tremors of rapture spin and sway through them both. Each dazzling moment bleeds helplessly into the next and each, in turn, is then sheathed in gold. He bites his lip, a fruitless, funny attempt to stop himself from giving too much too soon. </p>
<p>“Inside,” Junmyeon says, and he claws at Sehun’s back, his body bowing so that he can welcome Sehun in. “I have yearned so terribly for you.” </p>
<p>He could never say no. He could never stop. </p>
<p>Sehun thrusts inside him, bottoming out with a groan of pleasure. He throws his head back in delight as Junmyeon goes tight around him, his touch dripping down Sehun’s body, nails digging into Sehun’s hips. He tries to pull Sehun forward, but there is no more of him to give. In that second, he wishes himself endless only so that he could constantly bestow more upon him. Give, give, give. </p>
<p><em>What beauty, the way we share each other</em>, he muses, tangled up in his own thoughts just as much as he is tangled up in Junmyeon. </p>
<p>“More,” he begs. “More, please.” </p>
<p>Sehun closes his eyes to gather his resolve, squinting so hard he can see stars along the black. He finds a rhythm somewhere along the way, though it might be more halting, more stilted than he would normally prefer. Junmyeon clutches him tightly, eagerly, and despite the undeniable fact that he has had him countless times, <em>will</em> have him countless more, it feels new and strange, no less delightful because of its strangeness. </p>
<p>He looks down at Junmyeon, studies his face, and he watches as tears fall from the corners of his eyes. </p>
<p>“What are you staring at?” Junmyeon whispers, his mouth wet and lewd in the sparkling pink light. </p>
<p>“The love of all my lives,” Sehun whispers, and Junmyeon is about to curse him, Sehun knows that now. </p>
<p>He does not allow him the chance, trapping the rough words between them in a kiss. He fucks him slowly, passionately, fingers clinging to whatever determination he still possesses, forgotten in the beds of his fingernails. Has it always felt so perfect? So endlessly good? Will the well ever run dry? </p>
<p><em>No</em>, he thinks, <em>of course not. I have married myself to the son of the sea.</em> </p>
<p>Sehun no longer answers to time, only answers to his home’s call. And Junmyeon calls, cries out with a hopeful, impatient voice. He fucks him harder, quicker, and all thoughts dissipate from him as if they were merely water droplets upon hot stone. </p>
<p>He crashes upon Junmyeon’s shores, kissing him as it becomes increasingly clear to him that he cannot make himself last any longer, as he throws himself into it. Each thrust comes as a plea, a sob. Each kiss comes like a promise under moonlight. Each embrace lasts a thousand years. </p>
<p>Sehun spills into Junmyeon’s body as Junmyeon covers himself with the rising tide. They drown in love, and the lands of the setting sun drink down the water, grateful and serene.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>Time passes slowly, or it passes quickly. Sehun cannot know such things any longer. He does not wear his age the same way he once did. It does not drape along him like wool in the summer sun. Now, it feels as light as sandsilk.</p><p>They explore the land together. It seems that no matter how far they walk, the skies do not change and neither do the purple grasses tickling their ankles. The only fruit of these lands are the golden apples, but they see plenty of wildlife, ghostly deer of blue and white that hide in the orchard as the two of them sleep. Sehun watches them sometimes, observing the way they bow to each other. </p>
<p>Black rabbits streak through the wavering grasses, and Junmyeon delights in them, cooing as he watches their eyes flash black and iridescent like a slick of oil. </p>
<p>They find wild hives along some of the trees, and Sehun warily approaches as Junmyeon leaps and bounds towards them. Sehun warns him, tells him to be quite careful, but Junmyeon rolls his eyes, sticking his hand in to retrieve raw honeycomb easily. He feeds the honey to Sehun under the dying light, and Sehun bursts with life. </p>
<p>Sehun picks wildflowers from the hilltops, and he weaves their stems into crowns the way the girls used to when he was but a child. He places the crown atop Junmyeon’s head with a smile. Junmyeon pushes him over, and the crown goes askew as he kisses Sehun silly. </p>
<p>They speak to each other with words of love. They talk silently, bodies moving under the ambiance of the gentle sun. It shakes, shimmering along the horizon, and when Junmyeon brings his body down to meet Sehun’s, he thinks that this must be the way of the world. Everything turns around Junmyeon at the center, blisteringly hot, full of love and beauty. </p>
<p>They lie in the fields, bathing in the aureate affection, their limbs colored copper and coral underneath the shifting skies. They are the painting now, Sehun muses, caressing Junmyeon’s cheek as he looks into his eyes. </p>
<p>“Do you hunger?” Junmyeon whispers. </p>
<p>“No,” Sehun answers, finding it to be the truth. “I wonder why.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon smiles, leans forward to press a kiss to Sehun’s lips. “I presume the fruit this land bears is special.”</p>
<p>“Your fruit is special,” Sehun sighs wistfully. </p>
<p>“You have gone mad with love,” Junmyeon laughs, and he pushes Sehun back to the ground, settling Sehun’s arms around him. “Alas, I fear I have been mad for quite some time.” </p>
<p>He uses Sehun’s chest as a pillow, and they cradle around each other in a peaceful quiet. His mind wanders,</p>
<p>“I wonder how long it has been since we arrived,” Sehun says, and he scratches his nails against Junmyeon’s scalp just to hear the soft sound of interest. </p>
<p>“I imagine something like… a sennight?” Junmyeon asks. “Perhaps more.” </p>
<p>Sehun tenses in surprise. “Has it?” </p>
<p>“It is difficult to tell,” Junmyeon says. “The day never ends.” </p>
<p>“It’s so lovely,” Sehun whispers. “I never wish to leave.” </p>
<p>“Oh, I imagine that will change.” Junmyeon presses a kiss to Sehun’s lips with a coy little smile. “You’ll miss the waters of home.” </p>
<p>Sehun’s smile fades as Junmyeon lets his head fall back to rest upon Sehun’s chest. He stares at the endlessly shifting sky above them, the wonders never really failing to blaze brightly across him. </p>
<p>“Yes, I imagine someday, I will,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“Until that day comes, you can eat you fill,” Junmyeon says happily. “Love is such that you can find a home anywhere, and I think after today, surely, we have built something here.” </p>
<p>These are sacred lands, Sehun knows, but they have never had much of a problem making themselves comfortable in even the most special of places.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>They eat themselves full of the golden apples, and Sehun thinks he could spend a couple lifetimes here. He smiles to himself as he holds Junmyeon to his body. They have begun to lose their voices with all the talking, all of the sharp, sudden cries. Sehun hugs Junmyeon tightly, squeezing him so much that Junmyeon begins to slap him wildly.</p><p>“Are you insane?” Junmyeon bitches, and Sehun kisses him quickly, a coy and dopey smile along his mouth. “You cannot sate me with a kiss, you know.” </p>
<p>“You have much greater desire?” Sehun asks. “Even after all of this?” </p>
<p>“Always.” </p>
<p>Sehun sighs as Junmyeon kisses him, and they settle again along the earth. He thinks back to the struggles of yesterday, and again, he sighs. It’s good to be finished with all that now, but as he thinks back to Kyungsoo, he realizes that perhaps he is not finished <em>completely</em>. </p>
<p>He rubs along Junmyeon’s back with his hand as he thinks. He cannot waste what precious time he has left with those who mean the most to him. He and Junmyeon and the water… they have forever. Once, he was just a boy who loved his family above all else. </p>
<p>“You look troubled,” Junmyeon says, and he rubs his thumb along the wrinkle on Sehun’s cheek. “What is the matter?” </p>
<p><em>There is no greater time</em>, he tells himself. <em>It is now.</em> </p>
<p>“I have something to ask of you.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon grins. “If it is something lustful, then you must tell me quickly, else I’ll get restless. And you know how I get when I’m restless.” </p>
<p>He raises his hand, and he smiles as he fills Sehun’s mouth with water. </p>
<p>Sehun swallows the mouthful and breathes out a laugh after. “No, it is… I’m afraid it’s a bit more serious than that.” </p>
<p>“What could be more serious?” Junmyeon asks, and he rolls himself onto Sehun’s stomach happily. “Out with it, lover of mine.” </p>
<p>“I, um… I was thinking. For a while now, truly.” </p>
<p>“A rarity,” Junmyeon says, and he kisses along Sehun’s chest with a coy little grin. Sehun rolls his eyes. “All right, enough, enough. Tell me.” </p>
<p>“I was thinking… after we are finished here,” Sehun says softly, eyes trained on where Junmyeon’s mouth glides across his skin, “perhaps we could visit my family.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon perks up, looking into Sehun’s eyes. “Your family.” </p>
<p>“Yes,” Sehun says, heart in his mouth. “It has been a great while since I saw them, you know.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon melts over him, and he kisses Sehun deeply. It feels like answer enough, and all the tension within him, tension he wasn’t even aware he was holding, loosens, unfastening like a knot. </p>
<p>“Yes,” Junmyeon says softly. “Yes, I think you are in need of a trip.” He pets his fingers through Sehun’s hair. “They are so important to you, and yet, you put them behind you for so long.” </p>
<p>“It is a mark of how much I cherish you,” Sehun says, “but now…” </p>
<p>“But now you wish to see them again,” Junmyeon smiles, and Sehun nods. “Yes, my love. Of course. It is the least that I can do for you.” His brows wrinkle as he grins. “You were scared over something so simple?” </p>
<p>“I… I was wondering,” Sehun starts again. </p>
<p>“Tell me all about your wonders,” Junmyeon says softly, and he lays his cheek along Sehun’s pectoral, suspiring as he listens to Sehun’s heartbeat. </p>
<p>Sehun holds him by the back of the neck, breathing out. “It is my deepest wish to… to bring them back to the kingdom with us.” He feels as Junmyeon shifts over him, but he cannot see Junmyeon’s face. He pushes on. “For as long as they might live, I want them to live with us.” He scratches his fingers through Junmyeon’s hair. “If we are… if we are promised to each other, then they too are your blood now.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon breathes out, and the air tickles his skin. </p>
<p>“Yes, all right,” Junmyeon says quickly, and he begins to trace concentric circles along Sehun’s stomach. “We will offer them. Your father, your brother, the woman. Are they with child now? It’s been quite a while, and they were recently married.” A worry line streaks between his brows, but it is quickly erased. “Ah well. The spawn can come along too.” </p>
<p>Sehun’s face wrinkles at the word choice, but his heart soars at the acquiescence. </p>
<p>“Truly?” </p>
<p>Junmyeon raises himself up to look into Sehun’s eyes. He smiles, smiles like he is joyful. </p>
<p>“You are the one that I have always desired to hold above all others,” Junmyeon whispers, and Sehun is so in love. “Or have you forgotten?” </p>
<p>“I remember,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“Then recall these things now,” Junmyeon says, and he kneels up above Sehun, raising himself up to look every bit a god, sharp, beautiful features, pride in everything he is. “I will spend the rest of this endless life making this world better for you. I will do whatever you ask of me, and I will give you every gift I can manage to conjure. This is my promise to you. My pledge.” He shakes his head with a smile. “You are my beloved. My sacred soul. You waited to ask such a simple thing of me?” He takes Sehun’s hand in his, bringing it to his mouth to kiss. “You are just as foolish as the day I met you.” </p>
<p>“Yes, I think so,” Sehun says breathlessly. </p>
<p>“Ask me again, so that I might say it plainly,” Junmyeon says. </p>
<p>“Will you come home with me? Can I take my family back to the kingdom with me?” </p>
<p>“Yes,” Junmyeon says. “And I will show them with great joy what kind of man you have become.” </p>
<p>Sehun surges up to kiss him, all the love in the world caught between their bodies, strung through the seams of their shared heart. They tumble through the world together, and Sehun barely feels it when they touch down on the banks of the river once dry. The river that flooded once they were brought together.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>what a silly little story. i laugh (and definitely do not cry) as we wind to our end. </p>
<p>thanks for sticking with me and the goofballs up there ♡ just two chapters left!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. the reaping of the golden apple, part two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sehun hesitates before he knocks on the door, but with Junmyeon at his side, tightening his hold on Sehun’s hand… this must be safety. True comfort. </p>
<p>“You are frightened?” Junmyeon wonders, rubbing the pad of his thumb against Sehun’s rough skin. </p>
<p>“Not <em>frightened</em>,” Sehun answers. “I only wonder… if they will think of me poorly.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon laughs sharply, and he reaches forward to knock for Sehun. His heart jumps inside him, and he squeezes Junmyeon’s hand in his own. </p>
<p>“Who could think poorly of a newly made immortal?” Junmyeon says. “If anything, I imagine they would think poorly of me.” He grins at Sehun. “I’ve stolen away their precious one, but even if they complain and cry and beg, I do not intend to give him back.” </p>
<p>Sehun smiles at him, their fingers laced together as the door opens upon a woman and her child. </p>
<p>The girl has dark hair and eyes, a sharp, dignified nose, small feet padding along the stone floor. She is a sight to behold, this angelic child, and Sehun kneels before her. Junmyeon was right after all. They have been blessed with life. This place bursts with new blood. </p>
<p>“Hello. W-Who are you?” the woman asks, and it is only then that Sehun looks up to observe her. </p>
<p>She is a very pleasant-looking woman, with her soft brown hair plaited along her shoulder. She is dressed quite simply, a cotton shift embroidered with green leaves across the shoulders, a housedress common for women around his village.  She has kind eyes, gentle eyes, the eyes of a mother, and Sehun is grateful to her. </p>
<p>“I am your husband’s brother,” Sehun says from the ground. “I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to meet you.” </p>
<p>A shocked, delighted smile runs across her face, and she takes him by the hand, helping him to his feet. </p>
<p>“He will be so glad to see you,” she says, and she welcomes him into an embrace. “My name is Narae… Sehun, it is good to finally meet you.” Her hands still on his back as she hugs him. “Welcome home.” </p>
<p>“My son.” </p>
<p>Sehun turns just as Narae withdraws from him, the child toddling over to her leg, and he sees his father. Tears fill his eyes, cloud his vision, and he hurries over to hug his father close. </p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” Sehun whispers, tucking the words along his father’s neck. “I’m sorry I was gone for so long.” </p>
<p>“Do not apologize,” his father whispers happily. “My, you have changed. Look at you. You have grown, I think.” His voice falters, some forgotten fear. “I have heard rumors of a boy who ascended the mountain and came back a man.” His weak arms tighten around Sehun’s waist. “Are the rumors true, my son?” He pulls Sehun gently by the shoulders, looking into his eyes with wonderment. “Was it you?” </p>
<p>Sehun breathes out, and he looks back to Junmyeon, standing there proudly and quietly. </p>
<p>“H-He is my beloved one,” Sehun says. “I took this journey to be at his side.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon smiles benevolently, seemingly pleased with the introduction, and he bows before Sehun’s father before turning and bowing to Narae and the child. </p>
<p>“Thank you for welcoming me into your home,” Junmyeon says. “You may know me as—” </p>
<p>“Suho,” his father says, mouth open with amazement. </p>
<p>“You can call me Junmyeon, if you’d prefer,” Junmyeon shrugs. “It is the name the water gave me.” </p>
<p>“M-My,” his father says, a hushed tone reserved for reverence. He looks between them, observing. Reflecting. “It has all been true then?” </p>
<p>“It is true enough,” Junmyeon answers. He bows his head in apology. “I’m sorry for keeping him so long, but there was much to do.” </p>
<p>“Ah, yes,” his father laughs, bowing his own head. “Yes, of course.” </p>
<p>“Look at him now,” Junmyeon says happily, and he pats Sehun along the shoulders. “He has grown strong, has he not? Both in body and spirit?” </p>
<p>“The time has treated you well,” his father praises, looking him over. “We are so very proud of you.” </p>
<p>Sehun brushes away the tears at his eyes, and he smiles, looking around what used to be home, what will soon be a relic of his past. It has changed slightly, womanly touches here and there. A small bunch of wildflowers sit on the tabletop in a clay vase, and the curtains by the window billow in the breeze. There is a small bed for the girl, and next to the bed there are several small toys. </p>
<p>Junmyeon clears his throat, and Sehun looks back to find him exaggeratedly raising his brows as if to say <em>say something</em>. </p>
<p>“Y-Yes,” Sehun says. “Um… well, how long will it be before my dear brother is home?” </p>
<p>“Papa,” the child says, and she toddles over to the window, wrapping herself in the curtain before peering outside. </p>
<p>“It will be a while, I fear,” Narae frowns. “I’m sorry. He works well into the evening.” </p>
<p>“No, no,” Sehun says. “It is no trouble.” </p>
<p>“Shall I prepare a meal for us, then?” Narae says. “Something for a celebration?” </p>
<p>“Fry the fish,” his father says happily. “And bring the white wine. My son will tell us all about the challenges he faced in his time away.” </p>
<p>It’s something of a dream, being back here again. It reminds him of humble beginnings, reminds him of just how far he’s come along the way. Sehun blinks away tears, looking at Junmyeon. They speak silently, without words. </p>
<p><em>This is what I wanted,</em> Sehun thinks. <em>A place to return to. A family to welcome me.</em> </p>
<p><em>It is lucky you found your way back to it</em>, Junmyeon seems to say in his smile, and they sit at the table together, spinning stories from the clouds above.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>That’s how time passes. As the sun sets and the moon begins her rise, Sehun tells stories he has not had the chance to tell anyone besides Junmyeon. He tells them whatever they want to hear, goes into excruciating detail about certain aspects like the flesh-eating swamps or the Fractia’s lair. Whatever he can remember, he shares. He tells them of the people he met along the way, men and women who aided in his journey, helped him limp towards his success. The more that he thinks about it, the more he realizes that he would not have gotten anywhere without the support of those around him.</p><p>It makes him even more grateful for his family, the one he has returned to after so much trial and tribulation. Narae graces him with the story of her and his brother’s love, and Sehun holds Junmyeon’s hand under the table, clenching it in his own whenever the story is particularly sweet. </p>
<p>It is pedestrian, of course, nothing like the story of his and Junmyeon’s love, but in that, there is a charm all its own. They are simple, and they possess simple love. With the tasks over and done, he thinks he and Junmyeon might share the same. </p>
<p>The table bursts with life and laughter, and when the food and wine have been doled out, life and laughter only seem to grow. Junmyeon commands the table with excited stories of his childhood, his life with the rest of the gods, and while no one can seem to relate to him, they hang on every word. </p>
<p>“So after all was said and done, the debt was paid,” Junmyeon says proudly, pouring Sehun’s father another cup of wine, “and it was no trouble at all to cross the river.” </p>
<p>“But it was the river of forever night,” Narae says blankly. </p>
<p>“And so I crossed alive, came back a little dead,” Junmyeon says happily, sitting down and lifting his own cup to his mouth. “The best kinds of trips always leave you a little worse for the wear.” </p>
<p>Narae hiccups a confused laugh, but Junmyeon doesn’t seem to notice, happily bumping his shoulder into hers. For the most part, they have taken to him graciously, accepting Junmyeon and all his eccentricities just as Sehun has. That’s family, he muses. </p>
<p>Sehun eats quietly, having used up most of his exciting tales earlier on in the evening. It is pleasant, he thinks. Exceedingly pleasant. Maybe they could have this all the time if they agree to accompany him. It might be a tall order, but—</p>
<p>The door swings open, and his brother stands there, frozen still as he observes the picture before him. Junmyeon turns back, brows raised. </p>
<p>“Hello there,” Junmyeon says easily, already completely settled within the unit. “Welcome home.” </p>
<p>“O-Oh,” his brother whispers. “Hello.” </p>
<p>Sehun stands sharply, and he crosses the small room, gathering his brother into his embrace at once. </p>
<p>“Brother,” Sehun whispers, and he hugs him tight. “I’m sorry for staying away for so long.” </p>
<p>His brother is slow to wrap his arms around Sehun, but he does it after a hesitant moment or two. </p>
<p>“It’s all right,” he says, looking around as if trying to make sense of what lies before him. “So I suppose everything that’s been said was true?” </p>
<p>“It is,” Junmyeon says. “Now, if you’d like some supper, you’d best hurry. Your wife will eat it all.” </p>
<p>“H-Hey,” she says, affronted. “You’ve been eating far more than <em>I</em> have.” </p>
<p>“Now, now, it’s not ladylike to lie,” Junmyeon smiles, and Narae slaps him weakly in the shoulder realizing a second later what she’s done. Her eyes go wide as if expecting some retribution, but Junmyeon throws his hands into the air spuriously and Sehun laughs. “And now she’s assaulted me. What kind of company is this, hm?” </p>
<p>His brother sits beside him, and he eats as Junmyeon and Narae go back and forth with newfound fondness, whatever discomfort might have been left broken swiftly as they talk of frivolous things, food, wine, art, and decor. </p>
<p>His father goes to sleep at some point in the evening, weary, his eyes on Sehun with all the affections the world has to offer. Sehun gently pulls the sheets over him, and his father grins. </p>
<p>“I’m glad you had not forgotten us,” his father whispers sleepily. </p>
<p>“Never,” Sehun promises, and after his father rests peacefully, he joins the rest of them outside by the fire. </p>
<p>The night carries the melodies of merrymaking, and Sehun stokes the flames as he watches Narae and Junmyeon sit with the girl. It is quiet between him and his brother, and Sehun draws in the sand by the firepit, making swirling designs until his brother breaks the silence.</p>
<p>“He missed you very much,” his brother says suddenly. “A-And I did as well.” </p>
<p>“Surely you had good company,” Sehun says, looking at the woman and child. “Your family is quite beautiful.” </p>
<p>“Thank you,” his brother says. “They have brought me much joy. And now that you’ve returned, it feels… complete.” </p>
<p>Sehun’s heart pulls at the words. Complete. What a nice thought. </p>
<p>“How long will you be staying?” he asks suddenly. </p>
<p>“Perhaps just a day or two,” Sehun says. “Junmyeon has spent too long away from his kingdom. He must return with haste.” </p>
<p>His brother nods. “It’s strange to contemplate such things.” </p>
<p>“Like what?” </p>
<p>“Gods and kings,” his brother smiles softly. “Strange.” </p>
<p>“Yes, I suppose it is,” Sehun says. “I’ve been thinking about these strange things for so long now, though, they don’t seem so strange anymore.” </p>
<p>“I’ll get used to it too, then.” </p>
<p>“I hope so,” Sehun says. “He is a magnificent person. I hope you get the chance to know him. Know him <em>truly</em>, not just in passing.” He looks up to the sky, speckled with light. “He is very special to me.” </p>
<p>“He is extraordinary,” his brother says. “But so are you.” </p>
<p>“Do you think so?” Sehun laughs. “I don’t feel so extraordinary.” </p>
<p>“You are immortal,” his brother says. “If this isn’t extraordinary, what is?”</p>
<p>Sehun watches with great fondness as Junmyeon spins a ball of water in the palm of his hand, gently flicking droplets off of it with his finger. The girl laughs in delight, stomping her feet excitedly and waving her arms. Narae smiles but reaches forward, taking the girl into her lap. The child begins to throw a bit of a fit, and Junmyeon leans backward like it might infect him.  </p>
<p>“We must retire for the night,” his brother says. “But you are welcome inside whenever you are ready.” </p>
<p>“Thank you,” Sehun says, “a-and thank you for your kind words.” </p>
<p>“I am your brother,” he smiles wryly. “You know that if you did not deserve them, I certainly would not give them so freely.” His brother turns to Narae, and Narae easily stands with the wriggling child in her arms. </p>
<p>“Wait, but it is still so early,” Junmyeon says. “Hey. That’s so cruel. Let her come back to play.” </p>
<p>“There will be much time for play in the morning,” Narae says. “You silly god.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon squints at her, and it makes Narae laugh. The baby’s eyes go heavy with sleep as if on command, and Junmyeon scoffs. “Trust a woman to work some spell on the poor child.” </p>
<p>“It is not a <em>spell</em>,” his brother laughs. “You just aren’t a parent.” </p>
<p>“I am a parent of many,” Junmyeon sniffs, looking down the bridge of his nose proudly, “but they just so happen to be rivers.” </p>
<p>The couple snorts with laughter as they say their goodbyes, and Junmyeon douses the fire easily, smiling at Sehun. </p>
<p>“Should we walk to the river?” He looks back to the house, frowns. “I would hate to keep them up.” </p>
<p>Sehun has either changed him mightily, or Junmyeon sees Sehun’s family as an extension of himself. No matter which is the case, Sehun is glad of it. </p>
<p>Together, they walk to the river, though now, it seems little more than a creek. Sehun remembers when he was young and he thought this river was the biggest thing in the world. Now, it is little more than a stream to him. </p>
<p>“It is a very good night,” Junmyeon says. </p>
<p>“A very good night, indeed.” </p>
<p>“She loves you,” Sehun says wistfully. </p>
<p>“Who?” Junmyeon says, confused. </p>
<p>“The child,” Sehun says. “She favors you.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon rolls his eyes. “It’s because I can do <em>magic</em>.” </p>
<p>“I think you’re underselling your abilities a bit,” Sehun says. “After all, she hasn’t come close to me.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon smiles, skimming his toe along the water’s surface as it rushes by. He looks strangely young then, almost a child himself. Sehun knows it is a foolish thing to think. Junmyeon is older than he knows.</p>
<p>“You’re jealous of me,” Junmyeon smiles. “I like this feeling.” </p>
<p>“Well, good,” Sehun says, not even bothering to defend himself. “If I can bring you pleasantness, then I’ve done my job.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon sighs out. The night is navy and strong, and Sehun stares at the nearby town. The flames are lit, and Sehun watches them dance in the evening, orange and bright. </p>
<p>“Shall we stay here for a while?” Junmyeon wonders and he sits down next to the water. “Must you work up your courage to ask your father?” </p>
<p>Sehun scoffs as he follows suit. “I killed a rather large snake if you’ll remember.” </p>
<p>“And still, sometimes there is nothing scarier than a father.” </p>
<p>Sehun laughs, and he folds his legs underneath him. “I suppose you’re right.” He considers it for a moment. “Perhaps tomorrow.” </p>
<p>“Whenever,” Junmyeon says. “Time is of no concern.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon reaches out, grabs some of the water into a whip’s shape. The rope of water bends and twists in a figure eight, unending and unbroken. Sehun watches in awe. Junmyeon works so effortlessly, and there is great beauty in it. </p>
<p>“Would you like to try?” Junmyeon wonders after a while. </p>
<p>“Moving the water?” Junmyeon nods. Sehun laughs softly. “I should think the water belongs to you, my love.” </p>
<p>“Precisely why I am offering,” Junmyeon says. “If it belongs to me, then I am able to give it to whoever desires it.” He scoots a little closer, leering at Sehun. “Do you desire the water, fisherboy?” </p>
<p>“It is the love of my life,” Sehun says softly, and Junmyeon leans over to kiss him. </p>
<p>“Hold up your hands,” Junmyeon whispers, his mouth against Sehun’s. When Sehun obeys, his smile strokes along Sehun’s lips and he draws back. “All right. Remember when you leapt?” </p>
<p>“Yes,” Sehun says. “I must only picture the water moving?” </p>
<p>“No, of course not,” Junmyeon says, shaking his head like Sehun is the most foolish person who has ever lived. “You think all magic is exactly alike?” </p>
<p>“Well—” </p>
<p>“It matters not,” Junmyeon says, the excitement thrumming through him now, like he is overjoyed to be sharing with Sehun. “Hold up your hands.” </p>
<p>“They’re up,” Sehun says, “they’re up.” </p>
<p>“What do you feel?” </p>
<p>“What do you mean?” </p>
<p>“What kind of emotion wells within you?” Junmyeon asks. </p>
<p>“L-Love, I think,” Sehun says. “Love and fear.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon smiles to himself. “Take those things. Let them fill you.” </p>
<p>“All right,” Sehun says, and he shuts his eyes, focusing on the emotions. </p>
<p>“Open your eyes, silly boy,” Junmyeon whispers, and when Sehun obeys, Junmyeon is so close. It makes the feelings dance within him. “There. I can see it.” </p>
<p>“See what?” Sehun whispers back. </p>
<p>“The water,” Junmyeon smiles, and he takes Sehun’s hands, moves them up and down excruciatingly slowly. “Let them build, my love. Let them flow through you. And when you can feel them about to swell so large that they will come out, let them jump into the water.” </p>
<p>Sehun tries his level best to do as Junmyeon says, but the very most he gets is a small water droplet jumping upstream, much like a salmon. </p>
<p>“I don’t think this is the kind of magic for me,” Sehun says.</p>
<p>“Oh, it’s easy, don’t be so childish,” Junmyeon says, and he stands swiftly, stepping into the river. “Watch.” </p>
<p>“Be careful,” Sehun warns, and Junmyeon throws his head back with a laugh. </p>
<p>“<em>Be careful</em>,” he mocks, and he lifts his hands, the water commanded to leap from the riverbed. “I think you’ve forgotten who you’ve pledged your eternal soul to. I am not some simple man.” The river water raises into spires at his side, stretching high into the sky. “I cannot be swept away by the water. Foolish boy, I <em>am</em> the water.” </p>
<p>And then, his dance begins. </p>
<p>The spires come tumbling down, threatening to crash against the earth, but before they are able, Junmyeon whips them into arches, billowing, wavering parabolas that spiral around him. Sehun watches in awe as Junmyeon moves through the sandy river bottom, the water streaking around his body in shoots and sprays. Each movement of his body is subtle and elegant, purposeful and regal, and the water responds to every gentle command. Concentric circles frame Junmyeon, the orange light of the nearby town painting him in halo light. He looks like an angel as he moves the water, dances underneath it, drapes himself within it. </p>
<p>He lets it crash over him once he’s finished, and Sehun’s mouth falls open as he watches Junmyeon’s sandsilk stick to him transparently. He grins, instantly dry as he lifts himself from the river, pulling Sehun to his feet. </p>
<p>“Every day I find new ways to love you,” Sehun says softly. </p>
<p>“Shut up,” Junmyeon smiles, kisses Sehun deeply, and threads his fingers through the spaces in Sehun’s. “Let us head back home, all right?” He grins cocky and sweet. “If you require my help with your father in the morning, I will be most happy to assist you.” </p>
<p>Sehun wraps his arm around Junmyeon’s waist as they walk back to his childhood home. The image of stacked stones jumps into his head. Surely he must have stacked a thousand by now.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>It is very strange to wake in this house again. Sehun turns to his side, finds Junmyeon already awake, eyes red and tired.</p><p>“You will ask them today,” Junmyeon says. “I want to live in luxury once more, with or without them.” </p>
<p>Sehun rolls his eyes, and the rest of the day goes by very slowly. His brother stays home, and they fish in the ocean. Meals are simple and delicious, and Sehun builds his confidence as the day goes by. It is only once night has settled that he finds the voice to ask his father. </p>
<p>“I… I had a proposition,” Sehun says very suddenly, and Junmyeon perks up as if to say <em>at last</em>. </p>
<p>“Yes, my son? What is it?” </p>
<p>Sehun looks at Junmyeon, and Junmyeon raises his brows encouragingly. </p>
<p>“I thought that perhaps, I could convince you to come with us,” Sehun says, and he looks to the rest of the table. “All of you. Come with us to Junmyeon’s kingdom.” </p>
<p>“For a trip?” his father asks. </p>
<p>“For the rest of your life,” Sehun says. “All of your lives.” </p>
<p>“W-W—this is all very sudden,” his father says, and his fingers dance against the wood. </p>
<p>“I know,” Sehun says. “A-And of course, I don’t expect you to decide right away, but… it was my deepest hope to bring you with me. To have you at my side for as long as I can.” </p>
<p>“Uproot a life?” his father says. </p>
<p>“We will live as we were always meant to,” Sehun says softly. “Luxury beyond compare. An easy life. A gentle one.” He shakes his head. “I have worked for this. To bring you there with me. Your place has always been alongside me.” </p>
<p>His father looks upon him, beholds him. </p>
<p>“My son,” his father says softly, his hand on Sehun’s cheek. “Have you worried over us?” </p>
<p>“I did,” Sehun whispers. </p>
<p>His father nods. “It may be strange, it might be a brand new world for an old man like me, but… but if you want us with you, if we have a place at your side, then” and he shakes his head with a smile, “who am I to tell you no?” </p>
<p>“S-So then you will come with us?” Sehun asks. “You will live within the kingdom beneath the sea?” </p>
<p>“If you lead, we will follow,” his father says. </p>
<p>Sehun stands sharply to crushes him into an embrace, and it makes his father laugh heartily. </p>
<p>“Well, then,” Junmyeon says happily. “No time like the present. The road is long behind but longer ahead, all of that… let’s hurry along!” </p>
<p>“We’re leaving <em>now</em>?” his brother asks. “What about work, I wonder? What about—” </p>
<p>“There is nothing to wonder about,” Junmyeon says. “For the rest of your lives, you will be taken care of. For the rest of time itself, you will not have to think about money or food or shelter. You will have whatever you desire. Your days will be free to do as you wish, you can go anywhere and do whatever, and you will always have my kingdom to return to.” He smiles at them. “You are my family now, and I have not had a family in quite some time.” He claps his hands together. “I believe I will be able to spoil you all properly.” </p>
<p>His brother looks to his wife, and his wife looks to her child. The child waddles over to Junmyeon, grabs at his robe until Junmyeon kneels down to stare at her. </p>
<p>“Up,” she says, and she throws her arms around his neck as he lifts her into his arms. </p>
<p>Satisfied, Junmyeon turns back to them all with a grin. “What else is there?” </p>
<p>Narae turns to his brother who turns to his father. </p>
<p>“Let’s away,” he says. “I trust you will lead the way?” </p>
<p>“It is what I do best,” Junmyeon grins, a hand on the child’s back. “Lead.”<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>The descent is not exactly as Sehun remembers it to be.</p><p>Perhaps Junmyeon treats them even more gently than he treated Sehun the first time he brought him below, perhaps he’s gotten better at giving mortals the abilities they need to survive, but as the group of them sinks down deep, Sehun is filled with an enraptured anticipation. Each and everyone seems excited at the prospect, and he holds Narae’s hand tightly as they travel in a line, Junmyeon at the head, Sehun at the back. </p>
<p>The journey takes the better part of the night, and the child even sleeps for some of it. Junmyeon carries her in one arm, the other holding onto Sehun’s father as they swim. </p>
<p>By the time the morning comes, it streaks through the ocean with turquoise light, shining down upon the coral city in all her splendor and glory. The billowing water weeds dancing like emerald flames from the silver braziers, the castle of pure white draped in her ceremonial colors, green and blue from the algae and red and orange from the coral… the stained glass windows… the things he has become so accustomed to, he seems them as brand new that morning. </p>
<p>They walk forward silently under the archway lined in royal blue and gold, they pass the seashell gardens and their walls of blue marble, they pass the harpists, their songs tittering through the water as if they have passed from the mortal into the immortal once and for all. </p>
<p>Junmyeon leads them on a tour, and Sehun observes them as they come to terms with their new home. They see the stables and the libraries, the common baths, and the great hall, eyes lingering on the twin thrones of living coral. </p>
<p>“That’s where we’ll sit, of course,” Junmyeon says cheerfully, and then pointing to the length of the table, “but you will sit at our sides!” He turns, light in his eyes. “I suppose I should let you all settle in your quarters for a while. Sehun?” </p>
<p>Sehun jolts at the sound of his name. “Yes?” </p>
<p>“Perhaps we can show them the falls later in the day,” Junmyeon smiles. </p>
<p>“Yes, I think… I think that would be very pleasant.” </p>
<p>“Come along then, father,” Junmyeon says, and he puts Sehun’s father's arm around his own. “I’ll show you to your room. Sehun will take the rest.” </p>
<p>“I will?” </p>
<p>“Just through there,” Junmyeon points. “The royal apartments. The first on the left.” </p>
<p>Sehun squints. He hadn’t ever heard of such things. “All right.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon smiles, and they away. Sehun does as he’s told, and they head back where Junmyeon directed them. He pulls the pearled doors open to reveal the most magnificent living arrangement. </p>
<p>The rooms look like Junmyeon’s chambers, just as luxurious with all the most beautiful silk and kinds of cotton, dyed in blues, purples, and greens. His brother and sister-in-law stare in wonder, looking at the sea glass windows in abstract designs, the pools of sweet-smelling waters, the plush bed, the lounges, the corners of the room pouring out with seaweed planters and coral sculptures. </p>
<p><em>Is this what I looked like</em>, he wonders, <em>the first time I saw such majesty?</em> </p>
<p>“Do you think the quarters are large enough?” Sehun smiles, but he barely has enough time to get the words out before they are hugging him closely. </p>
<p>“Thank you,” his brother says weakly, and it occurs to Sehun then that they have both worked hard, one toiling away to support his own, himself… well, he will not think too unkindly of his motives now. It matters not. </p>
<p>“There is nothing to thank me for,” Sehun says. “It is the will of a god, after all.” </p>
<p>His brother laughs, patting him on the back with a grin. </p>
<p>“Gods,” he whispers, “I can understand now why you never visited. Who would ever want to leave?” </p>
<p>“I am glad to have you here,” Sehun says. “B-But I know it can be a lot to get used to.” </p>
<p>“I think I can get used to it,” Narae says. “I think I will get used to it quite easily.” </p>
<p>Sehun feels his heart soar when he looks at the joy written plainly across their faces. They kiss his cheeks, and he leaves them to explore their new apartment. He pauses by the door to watch the child kneel beside the pool, dipping her hand through the water. </p>
<p>The door closes behind him, and he bites his lip, barely able to hold his joy inside. Everything as it was always meant to be. </p>
<p>He wanders back out into the great hall to find Junmyeon waiting for him. </p>
<p>“Father is napping,” Junmyeon says. “I showed him the healing waters, and understandably, he was quite delighted by them.” He preens. “Best he’s felt in years, or so he said.” </p>
<p>Sehun gathers him into his arms, hugging him closely. </p>
<p>“You did so much,” Sehun whispers. “Thank you.” </p>
<p>“It was nothing,” Junmyeon says, a hand in Sehun’s hair. “To ease your gentle heart, I would do anything.” </p>
<p>“Thank you,” Sehun says, and he taps his forehead against Junmyeon’s. “Truly.” He looks to the left, sees the throne to match Junmyeon’s. “And when was this made?” </p>
<p>“I had been growing it since the day your mission began,” Junmyeon says.</p>
<p>“Even when you doubted me so?” Sehun smiles. </p>
<p>Junmyeon rolls his eyes, smiling so brightly. “Please. I never doubted you for even a moment.” </p>
<p>Sehun cannot help himself, arms settling around Junmyeon’s narrow waist, Junmyeon holding him around the shoulders. He shuts his eyes, breathes the water deeply. It tastes sweet, but this comfort, this safety… nothing could be sweeter.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>a silly penultimate chapter for a silly story. thanks for reading!!!!! i hope you have a great day/night, and ill see u next week with the last chapter of this nonsense</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. the reaping of the golden apple, part three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sehun escorts the family on tours to the kingdom’s most beautiful features on the first couple of days of their stay, but after that, he lets them be. They settle into the castle just as well as anywhere else, and after a while, a couple of weeks stretching into a couple more, they don’t even feel like guests anymore. </p>
<p>Everyone loves the child, the servants all warm to her exceedingly quickly, and she soon becomes a fixture in the butterfly garden. Sehun holds her in his lap as she points at the sea butterflies, waving her hands excitedly. There are feast days and trips to the falls, and occasionally, the group of them will venture back to the shore, spending the day above the water until the sun begins to lower which always means it's time to head back. </p>
<p>He watches them grow, stretching out their limbs in comfort. They are dressed in silks and seajewels, they dine upon the most exquisite foods the kingdom has to offer, and at night, they rest their heads along the softest pillows. They grow in joy, multiplied between them, and at first, Sehun’s heart rests easily because of it.<br/><br/></p>
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  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>Their days are pleasant and lovely. He busies himself as best he can. Junmyeon often has his hands full with running the kingdom, ruling on matters that Sehun had rarely considered. The rest of the family seems content with their life of leisure, and for that little while, Sehun feels similarly. After so long, it is a good opportunity to relax. He takes long strolls through the castle, finding rooms rarely explored.</p><p>He finds a lost armory, all of the instruments so blighted with rust that he can barely tell the original color of the metals. Waterweeds creep and crawl along the stone floor, and the algae is thick along the few and far-between anvils. On the walls, there are neatly hung swords and shields, lances and spears and pikes in smart rows. The various suits of armor stacked along the far wall are the only things that have not seemed to turn with time, shimmering with iridescent gold and silver and violet almost if plated with mother of pearl. </p>
<p>Sehun tells them over supper, and Junmyeon remarks upon its use, once upon a time. There was a time when warfare was common, he says, but those days are long forgotten now. </p>
<p>He finds an art studio, the canvases bulging with seawater, yellow with sunspots. Paint pots are so waterlogged that their color has all but gone, just a smidgen of pigment left in the very bottom of the dishes. He wanders down the rows and rows of stacked canvases, and he finds himself led to the easel by the window. He looks into the distance, finds it overlooking a particularly lovely forest of orange coral, the sun striking just so. The canvas upon the easel lays forgotten and unfinished, but it resembles Junmyeon intimately, streaked in black, bronze, and gold. Sehun strokes his fingers along the surface, finds it soft and malleable. </p>
<p>Sehun shares his discovery that night, and Junmyeon smiles, recollecting on his past affinity for painting, a talent that he says has gone too long neglected. The child asks Junmyeon to help her paint, and Junmyeon agrees, immediately calling for a set of paints so that she can slap her red and blue hands across a watersilk. He wears it like a cape, and the child laughs happily. Sehun wonders how much more there is to discover about him, what kinds of things still remain under the surface. </p>
<p>He uncovers a lost library, tomes probably a thousand years old judging by the edges. The bookshelves are hollowed out white coral, lined with wood. Sehun touches the surface, skating along the grain, and he marvels at the collections. He cracks the spine of book after book, finds the pages worn away, the ink running, the corners chewed through. Sehun takes several of the hardbacks under his arm as he wanders through the castle, taking them to his long-abandoned quarters and stacking them along the desk. </p>
<p>He remarks upon the wasted areas in the castle, recalling the discovery of the library with great enthusiasm. Junmyeon tells him to look to the open library if he wants to do some reading, and Sehun smiles under the gentle chastisement. </p>
<p>He finds all this and more, and the world just keeps on turning. </p>
<p>At night, he daydreams as he and Junmyeon rest together, but Junmyeon never questions him about why he searches so thoroughly, never bothers him at all.<br/><br/></p>
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  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>Restlessness takes him within the year, though he cannot say for certain why. He mulls it over in the conch garden, drawing lines in the sand. His brother finds him there, and Sehun looks up to note the way he has changed. He was once rough with work, and to see him softened by luxury… it suits him.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” his brother asks, and he folds his arms across his chest. “You’ve been quiet these last weeks.” </p>
<p>“It is nothing,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>His brother shrugs. “Junmyeon wants to see you. I’m headed to the library, so if you’d like to join me after you’re finished—” </p>
<p>“I’ll meet you there,” Sehun says, and he watches as his brother wanders back whence he came, completely at home. </p>
<p><em>Good</em>, Sehun thinks. <em>It took no time at all.</em> </p>
<p>Sehun finds Junmyeon in his office, and even after so much time, it feels strange to see him there. He looks up at Sehun suddenly as if he can feel himself being watched, and Sehun gives him a soft smile. </p>
<p>“Sit beside me,” Junmyeon says, and he gestures to a chair. Sehun pulls it next to Junmyeon, and once he’s sitting, he lets Junmyeon take his hands. “Your soul is troubled and turbulent.” </p>
<p>“W-What do you mean?” Sehun asks. </p>
<p>“There is something within you,” Junmyeon says. “Scores unsettled. Debts unpaid.” </p>
<p>“No,” Sehun says, shaking his head. “I fear you are mistaken.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon sits back, and he stares at Sehun. “Father agrees with me.” </p>
<p>“I don’t like you calling him father,” Sehun says, wrinkling his nose. It makes Junmyeon laugh. “Even if you’re in agreement, it only means you both are mistaken.” </p>
<p>“Well, that’s good to hear,” Junmyeon says, and he pats Sehun on the leg encouragingly. “I am glad to hear it.” </p>
<p>Sehun stares at him. “Is that it?” </p>
<p>“Is what it?” </p>
<p>“There’s no more… no more inquiry?” Sehun asks. “N-No more poking and prodding?” </p>
<p>“Do you want me to inquire? Poke and prod?” </p>
<p>“I was only noting my surprise,” Sehun says. “After all, you’re usually so ready to stick your nose into things.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon squeezes at Sehun’s leg before turning back to the papers strewn along his desk, a grin on his face. “If I didn’t know better, I would think that you were trying to insult me.” </p>
<p>“You must know I mean it as a compliment,” Sehun smiles. </p>
<p>“Then tell me,” Junmyeon says flatly. “What is it that troubles you? Why do you keep searching the recesses of the castle? Surely if you are searching for something, you must have something in mind to <em>find</em>?” </p>
<p>“I-I’m not sure,” Sehun says, and he furrows his brow. “Perhaps, my heart is a bit unsettled.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon nods. “Still.” </p>
<p>“I fear, yes,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“Shall I help you along then?” Junmyeon says. “Shall I take you where you need to go?” </p>
<p>“You know?” </p>
<p>“I know everything there is to know about you,” Junmyeon says. “Even the darkest, most terrible parts of you, I know them well. Because you are my precious one. The one that has changed me so entirely.” He smiles at Sehun. “Know this, fisherboy. Time may bow to you, but you will always be the soul that begged for water. Not just for himself, but for those around him.” </p>
<p>Sehun feels his mouth go dry at the sudden understanding, why everything feels so incomplete. </p>
<p>“T-Then when should I go?” </p>
<p>“I will come with you,” Junmyeon whispers. “Tonight, after the feast.” </p>
<p>“Feast?” Sehun smiles. “For what?” </p>
<p>“For our departure,” Junmyeon says with a grin. “It has been a long while since we’ve left this place. I don’t know if they’ll know what to do without us.”  </p>
<p>“Wait for our return, I suppose?” Sehun smiles. </p>
<p>“Yes, I suppose exactly that.”<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>Music and laughter fill the great hall, and Sehun watches with amusement as Narae tries to gently feed the child pieces of apple that have been cut small specifically for her. Instead of being fed, the child bounces on her lap excitedly, waving her arms up and down as the people cheer for her. Sehun takes it all in, knowing that for at least the next white, he will be away from what has become home. What was home all along.</p><p>The food is always exquisite, but Junmyeon’s cooks somehow manage to make the feast days something special. Soups and curries of various shades of red, orange, and yellow, cold salads with crisp apples and grapes, warm salads with wilted spinach and fennel, whole roast chickens and ducks with crisp skin served with savory sauces, pork loins dripping with luscious apricot sauce, sticky rice, fried chicken, noodles with garlic and chili, dozens of pot pies, hundreds of spring rolls, thousands of soup dumplings, black bread with oats and hot butter, and when it comes to dessert… the choices are even more boundless. </p>
<p>His father is sitting opposite Junmyeon, so Sehun goes to him a moment later. He bends down, resting his forehead against his father’s. It touches him deeply, but ultimately, he knows that he will not be gone long. Certainly not as long as the first time he left. </p>
<p>“Where will you go?” his father asks. “Will you be back soon?” </p>
<p>“Soon, I promise,” Sehun says. “There are a few debts I must repay.” </p>
<p>His father smiles, and he covers Sehun’s hand with his own. “Whatever you must do, my son.”</p>
<p>“Thank you,” Sehun says, and for the rest of the night, they talk little of sad things like leaving and journeys away, focusing instead on the food and the drink and the family.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>Sehun takes Junmyeon’s hand, and they go to the balcony, a very familiar place. So many times, this is where they parted. Now, they leave together.</p><p>“Are you ready?” Junmyeon asks. “Packed everything you might need? All your neat little purses?”</p>
<p>“I can’t imagine we’ll be gone very long,” Sehun says.  “Anything we might need, I figure we can buy it.” </p>
<p>“Quite frivolous with my money, aren’t you?” Junmyeon squints, the barest hint of a smile tucked beneath it. </p>
<p>“Well, you’ve got more than you need,” Sehun says. “And anyway, do I not own half of it now?” </p>
<p>Junmyeon’s expression melts into a smile, and he gathers Sehun in his arms, wrapping them around Sehun’s waist. Sehun holds him by the neck, and Junmyeon pushes up onto his toes. </p>
<p>“You own it all,” Junmyeon whispers, “and it is yours to do with what you wish.” </p>
<p>Sehun closes his eyes as he kisses Junmyeon, the water rushing between them as they begin their voyage, the ripples echoing out through time and space.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>They land at the foot of the greystone castle, and Junmyeon starts to walk towards the grand doors, but Sehun turns his back as soon as they arrive.</p><p>"Don't tell me you made friends with a reptile or some such," Junmyeon chastises. </p>
<p>"Nothing like that," Sehun says. "Go inside. Meet with Yixing. I think I will find my man soon enough." </p>
<p>Junmyeon shrugs his shoulders as the doors are drawn open, and Sehun parts the thick rubber leaves as he steps into the jungle properly. He remembers the pleasant moisture in the air, heat not so overwhelming as other places he's been now. In fact, it's quite temperate. He smiles as he walks, searching for the man called Il. </p>
<p>He finds him not too far from the castlelands proper, and he is working in a garden of familiar plants. The fanglily, he remembers. The blessed gift of the jungle. He turns, laughs loudly when he sees Sehun. </p>
<p>"I thought I might see you again," Il says. He looks down at the purse in Sehun's hands. "Hope that's not meant for me." </p>
<p>"Do what you will with it," Sehun says. "It belongs to you." </p>
<p>"I didn't do anything," Il says. "Spare me." </p>
<p>"Put it towards your healing," Sehun suggests. "Help as many as you can!" Il frowns, holding his hands out as Sehun gingerly tosses him the gold. "Have you put your feud with Yixing behind you?" </p>
<p>"There was no feud," Il says, "but yes, I have." </p>
<p>"Good," Sehun smiles. "He is good." </p>
<p>"I trust you," Il says. "Despite all that... so since you're here, does that mean—you've become one of them now?" </p>
<p>"It does," Sehun says. "Don't hate me for it." </p>
<p>"I'll hate you for something else," Il says, giving Sehun a silly smile before gathering him up in an embrace.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>Junmyeon wrinkles his nose as they set foot into the thunder lands, the sky crackling with blackberry red. Sehun's robes stick to him, and the sparkle blue when he pulls them away from his skin uncomfortably. It will be good to leave, but he imagines Jongdae might hold them for a while.</p><p>"Do I truly have to?" Junmyeon says. </p>
<p>"You look so much like a child, it would kill you to see your own face," Sehun says. "Fix the water." </p>
<p>"Oh, <em>fine</em>," Junmyeon says, and he waves his arms. "There. Are you happy?" </p>
<p>"Did you do it?" </p>
<p>"What do you mean, <em>did I do it?</em> Of course, I have," Junmyeon says sternly. </p>
<p>"Shall I go check?" Sehun offers, pointing towards the back of the forest, and Junmyeon's face falls into pissy anger. </p>
<p>"Fine, fine," Junmyeon says, and he waves his arms a bit more dramatically, a great wave of his body as if exercising a demon. He breathes out with a huff. "There. Now it is done." </p>
<p>"Thank you," Sehun says dryly. "I thought you had done so when I'd asked the first time." </p>
<p>"Well, he's a scoundrel," Junmyeon says. </p>
<p>"And he isn't the one harmed by such actions, you'll remember," Sehun scolds. </p>
<p>"Yes, you're a champion of the common man," Junmyeon says, rolling his eyes. "Enough, I'll choke on it." </p>
<p>"Th—never mind," Sehun smiles, and he signals to the gatekeepers. "It would be uncouth." </p>
<p>"Oh, shut up," Junmyeon laughs, and before too long, they are wandering through the black castle.</p>
<p>They find them by the fire, Jongdae and the woman. She stands slowly, and Sehun's eyes fill with tears at the sight of her. </p>
<p>"Boy," Sora whispers in awe, a grin spreading across her face. "It has been quite some time." </p>
<p>"Yes, I suppose it has been," Sehun says, hurrying over to her and lifting her up into his arms. "Thank you for being patient." </p>
<p>"Who said I was patient?”<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>Stopping before the mountain, Junmyeon stares up at Baekhyun's castle, way, way up in the sky. Sehun breathes out, the air a bit thinner here. He'll never get used to that.</p><p>"Where will you be?" Junmyeon asks. </p>
<p>"It is a tavern nearby," Sehun says. "And you? I assume you'll be offered some hospitality in the castle?" </p>
<p>"I'll take his hospitality in the form of wine," Junmyeon says slyly. "And perhaps a ride on one of his sacred ones?" Sehun stares at him blankly before reaching out to smack him, and Junmyeon laughs his way into a kiss. "See you soon. Have fun with your small woman friend, fisherboy."  </p>
<p>He jumps suddenly, and Sehun waves away his little white cloud before turning to find Jinnie. </p>
<p>She looks much the same as she had back when this journey began, perhaps even younger than she did then. Hair in soft waves, eyes bright and alive. She is wiping a glass clean when he stops before her, and her mouth falls open in awe. </p>
<p>"Y-You're bigger now," she whispers. </p>
<p>"Handsomer?" Sehun tries. </p>
<p>Jinnie throws her arms around his neck, tugging him down into a fervent, frantic embrace. </p>
<p>"You'd not believe the tales we've heard about you," Jinnie says, jumping up and down in his arms. "The thunder helm? The <em>Fractia</em>?" She pulls away, holds him by the cheeks. "Good gods, you have done it, haven't you? Truly? Have you become a god?" </p>
<p>"I'm afraid so," Sehun says, and she shrieks a delighted laugh, pulling him back into another jumping hug. </p>
<p>It is much later when Sehun leaves the gold behind the bar, and he doesn't give it another mention.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>"I'll stay here," Junmyeon says, feet in the sand.</p><p>Sehun is relieved to find it just as strangely pristine as the day he first arrived on the island.</p>
<p>"Are you sure?" Sehun asks. "It is quite a lovely village. You would love to see the mechanism on the door. It is incredibly fascinating." </p>
<p>"To whom?" Junmyeon laughs, and he smiles up at Sehun sunnily. "No, I should like to take in the sun." He shuts his eyes. "It is a beautiful day." </p>
<p>"All right," Sehun says, and he goes to the treeline, walking back towards the wall of the village, the purse of gold swinging in his hand.  </p>
<p>When he finds Jiwoong, he is even more relieved to find that his ankle has healed well. He looks stronger than ever. Sehun waves at him, and it seems that Jiwoong barely remembers, understanding dawning slowly upon his features. He bounds over, something like a retriever, and he pulls Sehun into a hug. </p>
<p>"All the stories are true!" he says excitedly. "You have made it." </p>
<p>"So I have," Sehun says. "It is good to see you again." </p>
<p>"And you, of course! We will feast in your name," Jiwoong says, the happiness spilling out of him. "The village is so proud of you." </p>
<p>"P-Proud of me? Truly?" </p>
<p>"Of course," Jiwoong says. "One of our own... it is quite a tale." Sehun smiles at him, tries to hand him the purse. "What is this?" </p>
<p>'What I owe you, I think," Sehun says. "For helping." </p>
<p>"Owe me?" Jiwoong laughs. "You owe me a drink. Now hurry along. There is much to do. No one anticipated a party!"<br/><br/></p>
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  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>When they land in the north, Junmyeon hops from foot to foot like if he keeps still for just a second, he will freeze solid.</p><p>“Okay, now we’re finally here,” Junmyeon says. “I’m going to find a fire so that I might defrost sometime within the millennia. Call upon me when you’re finished.” </p>
<p>Sehun leans forward, pressing their lips together coldly. “Thank you.” </p>
<p>“Whatever for?” Junmyeon smiles, and just like that, he is gone. </p>
<p>Sehun turns, facing the great cavern. It looks different than when he left it, but he supposes that was a long time ago now. Creeping down into the cave, hands braced along the wall, he hears the call of the Fractia, cold and lonely, and his heart tumbles within him. Surely, they have not fallen back into their old ways. He hurries down, the chill spilling down his spine as he goes, but when he sees the woman and the Fractia, he is relieved. All looks to be well, just as he left it. </p>
<p>The Fractia lays like a queen upon the icy floor of her mountain hollow, shimmering in the low light. Her scales are just as resplendent as they are in his memory, perhaps even more so. Icy white, navy blue, marbled wings of silver… she is a sublime creature beyond all comparison. </p>
<p>He notices the woman secondly, but she looks as though she has not changed much at all. Her cloak still billows behind her proudly, and she rests her hand upon the Fractia’s snout. </p>
<p>“Sehun,” the woman says. “We’ve expected you.” </p>
<p>“O-Oh, really?” Sehun says. “Well, good then.” </p>
<p>The woman smiles, lowering her hood to her shoulders. </p>
<p>“What can we help with?” the woman asks. </p>
<p>“I was actually hoping to offer recompense,” Sehun says, “for all your help in getting me to where I am.” </p>
<p>The woman turns to the Fractia, and they commune silently for a moment before she turns back to Sehun once more. </p>
<p>“There is nothing that you could give the Fractia besides what you have already given, surely you know this already,” the woman says. “Why have you come?” </p>
<p>“I-I’m not sure,” Sehun says, and he looks back whence he came, the shimmering field of diamonds sparkling brightly behind him. “Something within me—” </p>
<p>The Fractia lifts her great head, grumbling lowly, and the woman laughs. Sehun stares at her, waiting. </p>
<p>“She says that you have found it difficult to reach a state of comfort,” the woman says, and she strokes her hand between the Fractia’s eyes, along the silvery scale. “Your soul is one that reaches forward.” </p>
<p>“Then what do I do now?” Sehun asks. “Please, ask her. I have accomplished what I sought to, I have helped where I could, I have repaid my debts.” </p>
<p>“You take your place among the stars,” the woman says. “You resign yourself to peace. Enjoy what good you’ve done, and relax into it.”   </p>
<p>“How?” Sehun wonders. </p>
<p>“Quiet your mind, and let it come,” the woman says. The Fractia whines, and it calls the woman’s attention. She focuses on the Fractia, and they exchange a silent dialogue as Sehun stands there. “She wishes to speak with you.” </p>
<p>Sehun jolts forward, and the Fractia’s eyes are cold and open, lizard-like. He leans himself down, gently touching his forehead to hers. </p>
<p><em>Go out from the mountain</em>, the Fractia tells him. <em>Go, see what you’ve done, and let your heart rest happily because of it.</em></p>
<p>Sehun obeys, journeying out into the light of day, and he is faced with the most majestic sight. Dozens of Fractias, shades ranging from black to navy to white, silver and cerulean and all manner of cold colors between —they paint the sky, dazzling as they flit and fly through the clouds. Their songs fill the mountains, but where there was once a song of sorrow… these are songs of joy and elation. </p>
<p>He calls upon Junmyeon with freezing tears in his eyes. </p>
<p>“Are you well?” Junmyeon whispers, an arm around Sehun’s neck as they leap home. “Was she kind?” </p>
<p>“Yes, most kind,” Sehun says. “Very kind.” </p>
<p>“And your heart?” Junmyeon asks, mouth along Sehun’s. “How does it feel now that you’ve visited them all again?” </p>
<p>“Ready for rest,” Sehun promises.<br/><br/></p>
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  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>The castle is a welcome sight even with just a few moons passing. Sehun holds Junmyeon’s hand as they walk under the arches, greeted by the family they left behind. The child runs to Junmyeon, leaping into his arms. He swings her around effortlessly, and they rejoice.</p><p>They feast that same night, and the chorus of singers make the great hall shake with their voices. It is loud, there is fervent, excitable dancing, and Sehun watches as even his serious, stoic brother joins in on the fun. He must blame it on the wine, flowing pink like a second ocean. </p>
<p>He watches them all head drunkenly back to their quarters, and by the end of it all, it is just he and Junmyeon, same as it began. </p>
<p>“Well, fisherboy,” Junmyeon says, and his voice booms in the empty hall, “what is it you’d like to do with me this night?” </p>
<p>Sehun feels some of the alcohol simmer within himself as he takes Junmyeon by the hand, bringing him back to their chambers. His stomach twists with heat as he pulls the tie from Junmyeon’s robes, and he pushes the silk from Junmyeon’s shoulders. He looks his fill, drunk on the sight alone, but when Junmyeon kneels at his feet to pull at Sehun’s ties, he comes undone. </p>
<p>Junmyeon takes him in his hand, in his mouth, and Sehun groans, jaw clenching as he furtively tries to swallow the rest of his pleasure. He skims his hands through Junmyeon’s hair, nails along Junmyeon’s scalp, and the moan sings through Junmyeon and into Sehun. He curls his toes, tightening his hold on Junmyeon’s hair as he allows Junmyeon to take what he will for as long as he will. </p>
<p>Finally, though, there comes a time when he can take no more of it. He lifts Junmyeon to his feet before putting him on the bed, and he spreads Junmyeon’s legs with either hand on either of Junmyeon’s thighs. He kisses along the sensitive skin, the supple flesh, and Junmyeon takes him by the hair, directing him, pulling him, pushing him as he likes. Sehun uses his lips, teeth, the tip of his tongue, gives as much rapture as he takes. Junmyeon comes against his mouth, shivering and shaking as if the world was moving and they were not. </p>
<p>He rocks into Junmyeon slowly, head thrown back with a moan as Junmyeon tightens around him, arms pulling Sehun down onto him. The kiss rattles through him, the warmth of Junmyeon’s water excruciatingly lovely. Junmyeon rolls Sehun onto his back, raising his hips and sinking down onto Sehun, hands on Sehun’s chest. </p>
<p>There is golden light all around them, perhaps from the sun as it dawns through the sea. Sehun wonders how long they have been like this, how much time has passed since they left the hall and come here to indulge in the other. It matters not, he tells himself. They could have been fastened together for a lifetime, and it still wouldn’t be long enough. </p>
<p>Effortless and lithe, Junmyeon gives and gives, takes and takes, and oh, it is like nothing else. Unique, exalted, and impossibly his, Sehun closes his eyes and allows himself to breathe out the chaos and breath in the settling sands, the most magnificent calm he’s ever felt. </p>
<p>Junmyeon cries out, and Sehun takes his hand, kisses his fingertips. </p>
<p>Sehun stares up at him, and though they do not speak, they convey a great deal to each other at that moment.   </p>
<p>Over and over again, they crash together in noise and light, and in the middle of the water, in the day and the night and the decades between, they are made one. </p>
<p>He hears it ringing in his ears. </p>
<p>They are one.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>He does not know when, but it is sometime later when he finds Junmyeon in the garden. It could be later the same day. It could be later the same year.</p><p>The corals and the waterweeds and the various sea plants of gold and green make way, and in the middle of the garden, there is a small forgotten place. Junmyeon sits cross-legged before it, and he turns when he feels Sehun’s footsteps reverberate in the water. He turns with a gorgeous smile, one that threatens to twist Sehun into a terrible knot. <em>Will it ever lose its magic?</em> He thinks not. </p>
<p>“Come,” he beckons, waving Sehun towards him. “Come, come, stick out your hand.” </p>
<p>Sehun sits down next to him, and he does as he’s told. Junmyeon empties his own hand into Sehun’s, depositing three small golden seeds, overwhelming with heat. Sehun stares at them with wonder, searching Junmyeon’s expression for an answer. </p>
<p>“I took one of the fruits,” Junmyeon says. “I wanted to see if we could grow a tree here.” </p>
<p>“Under the water?” Sehun smiles. </p>
<p>“You never know,” Junmyeon says. “It is a magical fruit, after all.” </p>
<p>“All right, then,” Sehun says. “Plant the seed, then.” </p>
<p>“Why don’t you plant it?” Junmyeon goads. </p>
<p>Sehun smiles, and he kneels in the soft sand, the forgotten plot that seems less and less forgotten, more and more <em>promised</em> as time goes by. He digs a small hole, gently placing the seeds into it, and he covers it back up once he’s through. He looks back at Junmyeon who gives him a reassuring nod. </p>
<p>“Come here,” Sehun says. </p>
<p>“Where?” Junmyeon asks. </p>
<p>“Here,” Sehun tells him, and he reaches out a hand so that he can try to tug Junmyeon forward. “Kneel with me.” </p>
<p>“Why?” Junmyeon asks. </p>
<p>“Because I asked so very nicely,” Sehun smiles. </p>
<p>Junmyeon grumbles, something that sounds like <em>you didn’t</em>, but he moves, kneeling beside Sehun all the same. Sehun takes Junmyeon’s hands, and he places them under his own on the small pile of sand under which the apple seeds rest. Junmyeon looks at him like he’s crazy, and Sehun grins as he closes his eyes. </p>
<p>“What are we doing?” </p>
<p>“Making it grow,” Sehun says, “now close your eyes and think of love.” </p>
<p>“You are such a silly boy,” Junmyeon whispers, but when Sehun peeks one eye open, he is comforted by the fact that Junmyeon has listened, both eyes slipped shut. “Silly little fisherboy.” </p>
<p>They kneel there, hands on the soft pile of sand. Love flows forth, and Sehun smiles. Finally, he has found peace. Who knew he would discover it in such simple things? In apple seeds? In sand? In his love’s water song, inextricably tied with the moon? <em>In and out</em>, the pair of them cry. </p>
<p>
  <em>In and out.</em>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☵</p>
</div><p>Sehun spends the rest of his life honoring the three things he loves most.</p><p>His father, his family, and the water. </p>
<p>Everything swings in and out of focus, and as time becomes little more than sand, he loses some things along the way. Each time, it burns the heart right out of him, but when he is far enough away, he realizes that he never truly loses them. Their memories linger, covering him with the most magical emotions, things he can hang on to, things that he can’t let go. He stares up at the golden apple tree that’s grown, stretching high in the water, and he marvels as their voices carry. </p>
<p>On warm days, he and Junmyeon will go up to the shore where he once rested, and they will lay in the sun. Sehun lets their echoes carry him for a while. He floats along the sea of them. </p>
<p><em>Remember when you were young</em>, they tell him. <em>Remember when you were nothing more than a child. Look at the way things have changed. The soil beneath your feet is old and you are older still, but it matters not. We are young within your mind. We will always be young here.</em> </p>
<p>He stares at the blue, cloudless sky. He sighs happily. He looks to where Junmyeon lies across him, Junmyeon’s arm thrown casually across his chest. Junmyeon turns as if he felt Sehun’s gaze, and he rests his cheek on Sehun’s pectoral. </p>
<p>“Is this a dream?” Sehun wonders. </p>
<p>“Why would you think something so foolish?” Junmyeon whispers, and he leans up to press his mouth softly against Sehun’s. “Even the freedom of dreams would pale to this.” </p>
<p>Junmyeon rests his head along Sehun’s bicep, and Sehun relinquishes another breath. <em>Just a moment more</em>, he tells himself, thinking back to the child who knelt before marble and rose with a crown of laurel. The fisherboy who had dipped his hand in the water and found a pearl. He can barely see their faces, but the feeling of them remains. Ripples on the surface. The jumping tides. </p>
<p>At the end of it all, he always has the water. </p>
<p>After all, he can find all things within the water.<br/><br/></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>☴</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>and there we have it. all over now. isn’t that nice? </p>
<p>be forewarned, long end notes: </p>
<p>you’ve heard this before, but whatever, it bears repeating for me: i started this story almost a full year ago intending to write something indulgent, something that i wanted to read. after a couple of chapters just dicking around, the story really got away from me (as they often do). suddenly, i had this grand plan, all these big stupid ideas, and even though i knew it would be a lot of work, i decided, what the hey, i don’t have anything better to do. let’s go for it.  </p>
<p>personally, while writing the boy and the sea, ive been writing many other things, whether they be fest fics, commissions, short passion projects, or most recently, original fiction! all these things are things i love to do, but they’re still… you know, work. writing is, as so many raisons d'etre are, a marriage of love and labor. sometimes i can lose sight of the love, being bogged down by the labor. it’s always nice at the very end to look back and see the love streaking through everything. i just genuinely love to write these goofy little stories. and in the end, even if i’m disappointed by some aspects of the process or product, even if i don’t feel like each story is my best, i’m heartened to know that some people like to read them. </p>
<p>i said no big morals in this one, and you know…. i should just stop saying things. as always, kindness and determination and grace will get you everywhere, your humanity is based upon your empathy and compassion for others, and obviously omnia vincit amor, babes. ah. i think loving things is the best thing you can do. the more you’re able to love, the fuller the world feels. </p>
<p>enough rambling, i guess, we’re getting nowhere fast. </p>
<p>thank you for encouraging me, thanks for propelling me forward. i say this a lot, but writing can be a very lonely task. you make it feel less lonely. this was written during a period of our collective life when we were probably at our lowest, mentally, physically, and emotionally, isolated from friends and family in a way that we almost certainly have never been before. foolish as it may be, writing <em>the boy and the sea</em> has helped to get me through this pandemic with most of my sanity intact… well, maybe sanity is a stretch. still, i’m sure you know what i mean.</p>
<p>so if you’ve been here since… god, since <em>last may</em>, thank you for keeping me company and making me feel like i wasn’t just screaming into the great endless void. it really does mean the world to me. </p>
<p>and so for the last time for the boy and the sea, for the fisherboy and his god of the sea, and from the bottom of my big mushy heart, thank you for reading. the road is long behind, but even longer ahead, my friends. i know we’ll meet again soon.  </p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/okamiwind">my twitter</a> | <a href="https://curiouscat.me/okamiwind">my curiouscat</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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